Sociology and Anthropology

Overview 

The department houses two separate disciplines, Sociology and Anthropology. Both disciplines look at how societies are organized and at the meaning and function of social behavior. Both integrate into their analysis a sophisticated understanding of historical change and cross-cultural comparison. Courses explore the formation of groups and institutions and the way that cultural beliefs, language, and material culture shape human behavior. Courses also probe the construction and consequences of diversity and inequality, looking at race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and other indices of difference. After one becomes immersed in the study of social reality, one comes away with a greater understanding of social change, global and local diversity, and the power of culture as a shaping force.

Independent research and study abroad are popular among students studying sociology and anthropology. Student research projects have explored such topics as graduation rates among teenage mothers, authenticity among civil war re-enactors, the archaeology of pastoralists in Mongolia, body image and disordered eating among adolescent females, and the stigma experiences of disabled children.

Sociology and anthropology majors pursue graduate study in these two disciplines, and in fields such as archaeology, education, criminology, public policy, human rights, and urban planning. A major in sociology or anthropology is ideal preparation for careers in all of these areas, and in many others.

Department Majors and Minors

Major in Anthropology
Major in Sociology
Minor in Anthropology
Minor in Sociology

Related Academic Programs

African American Studies
Asian Studies
Environmental Studies
Film Studies
Globalization Studies
Latin American Studies
Native American Studies
Religion
Women's Studies