Anthropology: A Primer

In response to a comment: I actually get asked this question a lot. What is anthropology? What do you do with a degree in anthropology? Well friends, pull up a blanket, get cozy, and here goes nothing.

Anthropology comes from Anthrop, Greek for man, and -ology, meaning the study of. 

The study of man.

There are four (and a half) different fields in anthropology.

The first is Physical/Biological Anthropology. This is the study of how humans evolved and how we vary as a species. The focus of this field is primarily bones, whether chimpanzee or human. Forensic Anthropology (think Bones) comes from this field. (This is likely what I want to do when I grow up).

The next is Linguistic Anthropology. This is more than just linguistics, or the study of language. When looking at language from an anthropological point of view, we study the social context of language moreso than the specific semantics or grammar of a given language. Basically, the how, when, and why languages have developed and evolved.

Third, we have Archaeology. Everyone knows this one, thanks to Indiana Jones. The process of finding artifacts and remains, studying them to determine how a population lived and died, and cataloging them to preserve their history. To be completely honest, this is my least favorite field. At the beginning of this semester, I had hopes of joining a dig in Ireland or somesuch, and now after 5 weeks of an intro-level course, I'm pretty convinced I'd hate it.

Finally, we have Cultural Anthropology. This is probably what most people think of when I say that I study anthropology. Here we have the study of people and cultures. This ranges from religious studies, to ethnography (a study of a particular population), to the understanding of how today's cultures interact with one another. I happen to have a  lot of credit hours devoted to this field, simply because I find the material interesting. However, it is a bit of a soft science (meaning it involves a good deal of conjecture and a good deal of bias on the part of the scientist), and at present I'm interested in absolutes.

The half-field I mentioned is Museum Studies, which involves learning how to curate collections for museums, preserve and catalog artifacts, authenticate artifacts, and create exhibits for the general public to enjoy. This is kind of my backup plan, should I end up also disliking physical anthropology.

As for the "what are you going to do with a degree in that? question.

There are a couple answers. First, I could work in a field that requires a bachelor's degree as minimum education. That would be better than what I was doing before, and I wouldn't complain. I would happily do secretarial work with my degree as long as I had a job.

Second, there's graduate school. I'm taking the GRE (Graduate Records Exam) next month, which basically determines which, if any, graduate school I can attend. Fingers crossed, because that's my plan A.

Anthropology is one of those things that, in order to work strictly in my field, requires a doctorate. I'd love a doctorate. It's been my dream since I was little to have a PhD. (I know, dream big right?) It is also one of those fields that can be creatively parlayed into other things, such as data analysis or corporate research. You know, if I ever wanted to do something like that. 

And now, you know.

~Megan