This blog post was inspired by my students in my Anth 101 & 102, and Anth/Soc 205 courses.
The first week of classes have come and gone, and one of my favorite things to ask my students is:
"Why are you taking an anthropology class?"
This question is usually met with a range of answers, including, "This course meets a (science, diversity, social science, essay) requirement," "It looked interesting," and "It fit into my schedule." Very few students realize the utility of taking an anthropology course, so this blog post is going to take you, the readers, through the utility and importance of anthropology as a discipline (even if you are not or decided not to major in anthropology!):
Anthropology is the holistic study of humans & culture, focusing on humans in past and modern contexts. Anthropologists seek to understand humans in all aspects-biological, cultural, and linguistic, and it is through the study of these areas that anthropologists gain a true understanding of what it is to be human. Anthropologists appreciate the similarities and differences that make humans and the unique cultures they create so distinctive and unlike any other organism on earth. This understanding also allows anthropologists and scholars in general understand how humans have culturally and biologically adapted to various unique environments around the globe, another unique condition of being human.
Through the study of anthropology, one gains an appreciation of the human condition, particularly the cultural and biological traits of our species. Anthropology teaches one to be more sensitive to cultural differences while also realizing the cultural similarities among societies. One also learns about how different cultures confront problems, allowing individuals to learn how best to confront problems faced by all or many cultures. E.g. how did one culture deal with unique environmental circumstances and thrive?
Another area that anthropology has clarified for the public is understanding the difference between biological and social issues. Many ideas and concepts that the public believe to be real and biologically sound (e.g. race and gender) are actually socially controlled and derived concepts. Anthropology (and the closely related discipline of Sociology) have demonstrated the differences between biological facts and cultural norms and values.
Students of anthropology can find a lot of utility in anthropological subject matter. A greater tolerance and acceptance of cultural differences leads to a better understanding of one's own culture. My cultural anthropology students are always asked at the beginning of term to identify key elements of the culture they grew up in, and they consistently struggle with this question. By the end of term, they are better able to answer this question because they recognize their culture, realizing that which they took for granted as natural is cultural.
This insight is useful in all walks of life, not just for anthropological subject matter, and many individuals have already benefited from anthropological knowledge and intuition. So next time you are wondering how to improve yourself and your knowledge base, consider taking an anthropology course. You'll learn more than you think, and the benefits are life long.
30 comments:
"Anthropology teaches one to be more sensitive to cultural differences while also realizing the cultural similarities among societies."
I've always thought that there should be an Anthropology requirement specifically for these reasons. Most people will say they don't need to be taught to be tolerant of other cultures, but there's a difference between being tolerant and being sensitive, mostly understanding. It seems to me that if more people were "sensitive" to other cultures and were able to see the similarities and be able to relate to them, there'd be less conflict, at least in everyday socializing.
-SD
I wholeheartedly agree, Samantha. :)
Anthropology has become an interesting subject for me. I took my first Anthropology course in Fall 2012. It was very interesting and the instructor made it interesting. He had travelled all over and learned so much from being with other cultures, that all I could think was "WOW". It would be amazing to travel and learn new cultures and just be places other than the desert all the time. Never going to happen in my lifetime, too many kids and family members that I have an obligation to help take care of. I have always had an interest in other peoples and other ways of life. Look at the Amish, no power, no cars, no new day technology. How crazy would that be to live as they do after you have lived like us for so long. This course is going to add to my interest and knowledge of other cultures in our world that will further my thoughts of, "Maybe I ought to move to the middle of nowhere and live like our ancestors". Diversity is what makes our world so interesting.
As I told another student in the class, you needn't travel outside of Reno to experience cultural diversity. There are plenty of opportunities in and around the city that provide you with opportunities to meet and interact members of different cultures, as well as experiencing it, even if it's just one aspect. For example, TMCC just hosted a Hula event here on campus, and while audience members were treated to traditional hula dancing and Hawaiian chants (known as oli) they were also exposed to cultural traditions and histories of the Hawaiian people. It was truly an amazing experience, but one that not many took advantage of. The opportunities are there. You just have to be aware of them and be willing to experience them. :)
Well I would be lying if I said I didn't take this course because it was a requirement for my major. After the first of this course I can now say I am taking this course so I can have a better way of understanding other cultures and develop ways to gain the trust of these other cultures. I plan to go into the world of analysts in the near future, a career where there is a heavy presence of Asians. In an effort to better understand all oriental cultures, this course will teach me how to gain influence from thee cultures and how they can gain influence from myself and my own culture, making a profitable exchange for me and any future individual of a different nationality I come across. So glad I took this over sociology. :)
I have taken anthropology classes both cultural and physical for requirements for my degree. I often wondered why this was required, but in hind site i can see how being sensitive to other cultures can come in handy in a career setting. Knowing our past and determining where to go from there makes a person ask the question "How can i as an individual, make the world a better place?"
I am taking Anthropology not just because it is a requirement but I am also taking the class because it truly is something that interests me. Anthropology is the study of humankind and their culture, and that is something we deal with on a daily bases. I believe the an Anthropology courses or Sociology courses should be a requirement for every degree someone goes for in higher education. For example, how can a Doctor, or Accountant, or a TV installer, really be good at what they are doing if they are judging who they are helping because they don't have the same culture, morals, and are just completely different. That can truly get in the way of anything, that is why it is useful to take and learn about society so we can all achieve a cultural relativism mindset so we can help, and interact with one another civilly and peacefully, not trying to change everyone to conform to your believes. Especially since we live in a world where everyones culture can be a lot different and also have similarities, it is good to have an open mindset and to be accepting of others views, and morals just to understand others, and that is what classes like these teach, they teach a lot about how people celebrate, and how people put food in the table for their families, and cultural customs that many probably did not even know existed since many are so boxed in and don't try to learn how different all of us truly are. I am currently in your ANTH 101 online class for the 2nd Summer term, and already there are so many concepts and terms that I am enjoying learning about, and like you said it is something that is going to benefit me, and other students life long.
I agree that all students (and all individuals) should take a cultural anthropology course, but I may be biased. ;) But in all seriousness, you are correct in what you've said here as there are several benefits to learning more about people.
I think that anthropology is a great course to take for college students because of all the different topics that derive from anthropology such as culture,history,tradition, food, etc. For me this course has shown me the different job opportunities that come from being an anthropologist, which is great for students who are indecisive about their majors.
Anthropology is a required course for any degree. But you have to ask yourself why is it required? If you look into cultural anthropology it becomes apparent. cultural anthropology is the study of human cultures. By looking into how a culture looks at themselves and, to a lesser extent, the outside world, we come to see that in the end we are all human. This statement works into our day to day lives and better prepares us to get along with several people and not just the ones in our group
Just as many other students like myself have said in the beginning, I too took this class because of a requirement. By my complete surprise, I was thrown for a loop when I completed my first week of assignments. Anthropology is much more involved, intense, and educational than I ever thought. I believed anthropology was simply the study of human beings, and honestly another spin on psychology. I soon learned the importance of cultures, biology of human beings, and the reasons on why they do the things they do. I believe the requirement for this class is extremely positive, as it has honestly opened my eyes to the world and cultures that surround it.
Sometimes I think about just taking a class because I just need the credit for the major, since I really want to be in a science class. I had noticed as I had started reading the book at the beginning of the semester that anthropology can be science based. Hopefully of just learning the information for a credit, but learn it for something useful in life.
Studying cultures and their beliefs can go a long way because when meeting new people from a different culture is always a good idea to know some information from that culture, so then nothing terrible will happen, because of that one word that was said or the greetings was not correctly done.
Christine Jackson. Anthropology 101.
It made me smile when I read the answers you get to the question "Why are you taking an anthropology class?" I smiled because I am taking this class to meet my diversity requirement and a degree requirement. On my own, I would not have chosen to take a sociology or anthropology course, but maybe that is why it is a mandatory degree requirement because most people will not choose it on their own.
I will admit that the class is not what I thought it was going to be, and I am enjoying it more than I expected I would. I have enjoyed learning about socially controlled and derived concepts like race, and how cultural norms and biological facts are not the same things all of the time. I do have to agree that I am learning more than I thought, and the benefits will be greater than I expected. Sky D
I truly hope that, some day in the future, every school will have Anthropology courses from grade school on up. Teaching young people about humanity, from an anthropological point of view would go far in helping people learn to embrace diversity,be compassionate and sensitive to the ways and needs of others and to reduce xenophobia in our world. It seems a shame that we have to wait until college to take anthropology courses and even then, many never do.
I was told I needed this class to meet my degree requirement and when I asked friends about it they shrugged and said its as an okay class. Of course I was hesitant about it at first but I'm really glad I ended up taking it. Taking this class has definitely taught me quite a bit about humans and every aspect that comes with it.
This being my third Anthropology class at TMCC, I have to say each semester entirely new concepts arise for me. The biggest topic for me in this semester was evolution, because while I always passively took it as fact, I never really understood what actually happened. There was so much more to it than I could have imagined, and I had to re-read that whole chapter because the information was just so new to me.
I'm within the ranks of students being culturally ambivalent. My exposures to and experiences to different cultures (within and out of these borders) have had some embrassing and frustrating instances. As a recently naturalized individual, I am glad to be afforded to opportunity to gain a deeper understanding to the history of my culture (and that of other minorities) within the landscape of American history, past and present. I find it empowering to have insight and awareness, not only for questions pertaining to identity/self, but also those pertaining to a richer, fuller, better-equipped collective experience.
I have had the privilege of being afforded the opportunity to travel and be exposed to a number of different cultures. This exposure has really opened my eyes to the bigger world that surrounds us. This is my third anthropology course and it has helped put these experiences in context. I think the largest part of anthropology is to be willing to approach this subject with and open mind and less ethnocentrism to really understand the concept. for me - these classes have provided me an opportunity to be better informed and more understanding.
Looking even at the context of the course Anthropology is something that can benefit everyone. Like you said in your article, many people cannot truly see what social contexts they grew up in as we see it as normal. Having taken Intercultural communication in Costa Rica and realizing how closely the class relates to Anth 101 is amazing. The first class was more based upon a business setting but this class will allow me and others how to better understand who we are dealing with when doing business with others or even more so how to appreciate other societies that you may see when going on vacation and how to better understand their culture and way of life.
I have always been interested in people of other cultures and felt I would thrive in the area of Anthropology. I used to spend hours at the library as a child reading books of other parts of the world. I don't remember the name of the series anymore, but I would read one after another absorbing the information eagerly. I look forward to learning more in this course about the four areas of Anthropology and hopefully get a clearer idea of what area I want to focus in. I think I would do well in linguistics but would also enjoy field work at dig sites or working as a liaison between Native American or First Nations cultures and other organization. The options are all very intriguing.
Gwendolyn Jones-Gailey
Even though this class just started, I can see that I will be learning a lot to help me in the business world. I work with many different people from all over the world. I think being able to understand their culture will make it easier to work with them as well as build lasting relationships with them.
Samantha Bond
Anth 101 3002
I took Anthropology because, other than it being an option for one of my general education requirements, 'm interested in understanding how the mind works and how humans view the world around them. It went beyond that expectation by showing my why people see the world the way they do.
At the beginning of the semester you asked us on our profile assignments to state on what the reasoning was to take SA 202 with this semesters class was most students taking the class due to them being science majors or was it for a requirement for them to graduate in the course 8 section? Throughout the semester so far I have learned alot of great things that I never knew of before entering this class.
I was a student much like the ones mentioned at the beginning, but I have learned about other cultures and it has made me look at the world a little different. I would gladly take another anthropology class!
I have found out about different societies and it has made me take a gander at the world somewhat extraordinary. I would readily take another human studies class!
Surprising, I never thought I would even like anthropology. But I actually love it! Its so interesting and fun. I even considered making it a minor. I always wonder how I can tie Anthropology to my major though. Any suggestions? My major is criminal justice.
Brittany Duckett
There is plenty you can do with anthropology and criminal justice (or any degree)! Forensic Anthropology, linguistic anthropology (prison and gang languages), culture and law (how and why do certain cultural interpret the law and deviance the way they do), and much more. We will begin to discuss these possibilities and more in the last lecture of the class. :)
I hope that in the near future every school will have Anthropology courses like the one I'm currently taking under Dr. Boston. I believe that teaching young people about humanity and being passionate while doing it go hand and hand. When a teacher is able to teach from an anthropological point of view would while also helping people embrace diversity, while being compassionate and sensitive to other beliefs
I believe that an Anthropology course and/or Sociology course should be a requirement for every degree someone goes for in higher education. It's something very good and important. - Alexis Buford
Even though anthropology is apart of a requirement to take for my major, i really enjoy the course. I feel taking the course will teach someone a lot.
- Lavonza Marshall
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