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| Nevada Historical Society, Reno, NV (Source: Nevada Museums) |
Dr. Christine Johnson had it all by American societal
standards-a great job, a marriage, a daughter.
What she did not have was a college degree. For years, she was quite content with the
life she was leading because it was a good and fulfilling life, but then the
day came when her daughter started kindergarten and she realized that she could
not in good conscience tell her daughter how important a college degree was
without having one herself. She was 12
credits short of finishing her degree-any
degree-and when she asked her advisor what she was closest to earning it
turned out Anthropology was the winning degree ticket. This serendipitous situation led Johnson down
a new path that she has no regrets having pursued. As Johnson herself put it, “I'm happy it was anthropology and not,
say, animal husbandry. Not to judge THOSE people, but I can tell you
this: If fate hadn't afforded me the vehicle to rediscover anthropology, what a
very different life I would have today.”
After earning her Bachelor’s degree in
Anthropology Johnson went on to pursue a Master’s and eventually a PhD. She was not completely sure what she wanted
to do but knew that she wanted to pursue her long held and reignited interests
in peoples and cultures. Luck continued
to be on her side during her Master’s coursework as she was provided the
opportunity to work on a very remote island in the Pacific Islands and to research
both anthropological and geographical topics pertaining to the people and
geography of the island. This opened up
several more opportunities for her and she began to focus on museum studies in
addition to cultural studies. Johnson
was able to take advantage of some museum internships through her coursework,
which enabled her to gain specific skills and establish contacts within the museum
community. She ultimately landed the
position she currently holds as the Curator of Artifacts and Education
at the Nevada Historical Society in Reno, Nevada, due to those connections and
unique skill sets. While working in a
museum may not seem wholly anthropological Johnson still readily utilizes her
anthropological skills in her current position:
“As the collection I supervise (artifacts) is wholly anthropological in nature, my anthropological background is essential to the understanding and interpretation of this collection. Additionally, the education in museum studies allows me to apply those skills to bring this collection (the oldest artifact collection in the State) up to more modern standards in the field of museology.”
Johnson notes that while anthropology is formally defined as
the holistic and comparative study of human societies and cultures she is
quick to point out that it is simply the study of us (humans). There is a great deal of utility in
understanding humans from both a cultural and biological perspective as it
assists individuals in better understanding the social world around them. She notes that an anthropological background
is useful in many employment settings, particularly in business settings, but
she also notes the personal fulfillment one can receive from taking an
anthropological course: “When
you leave home, you interact with other humans, in one way or another,
throughout your day. Anthropology and a basic understanding of cultural
differences is a very strong tool to have in your ‘toolbox of life.’”
20 comments:
I enjoyed learning more about your history and how you ended up going back to college, Dr. Boston. I too decided to go to college because I wanted to be a better example to my children (as well as getting a career of my choice). I learned a long time ago that in order for them to succeed in life they would have to pursue higher education. I could not in good conscience preach without first practicing. Sandra Neal
I think anthropology is fascinating, the more you know about people and other cultures the better you can understand them and build a better relationship with them. What island did you go to?
This post is not about me but my colleague, Dr. Christine Johnson. :)
Jo, this post is not about me but about my colleague, Christine Johnson. I will ask her and pass along what I learn.
Ooooppps, I guess that will teach me to read the title completely!!
I am definitely seeing a pattern between what you have said, what Dr. Johnson said and the general feel of how everyone thinks of anthropology. It is a great tool to have regardless of what career path you choose. I can already see how this would help me in my current job as a barista.
Sarah Howard Anth 102-1002
I enjoyed reading this story because of the messages it sends. It sends the message that it is never too late to go back to school to pursue what you love to set an example for those whom you love and it sends another message saying how valuable anthropology is when interacting with people in every day life.
Very inspirational. Having a daughter to encourage to go to college makes you want to get a degree as well, and being only 12 credits away, she had to pursue it. I salute the people who always want more for their children and lives because you can never stop improving yourself.
Zachary Forrester
anthro 101 3001 summer
Dr. Johnson is doing a lot for the community. She is an inspiration to those just starting out in pursuit of a career.
Having been to the Nevada Historical Society I can definitely see how anthropology is useful to her. Everything in there is about the different people of Nevada. I loved the exhibits from the mining towns, indigenous people, and gambling history. What a fun job!
It is truly inspirational to see someone pursue a professional career even if years has passed. It is never to late to find new interests and take your life another way. Anthropology is a subject and a career that can interest anybody because it has to do with us and can help others understand the human race and why we do the things we do.
This post brings up a rather irritating fact: people now only tend to focus on money. I knew plenty of people in high school that decided to get a degree for a good job and not something they were interested in. I used to think like that, too, until a teacher told me, "If you love your job, you'll never work a day in your life." I took that to heart, and I don't know my long term career plans, but this I think that as long as I do something that I want to do, I'll do a good job. I'm glad everything worked out for Dr. Johnson.
This blog was very good. It was amazing how she thought of her daughter before attempting to give up college. I completely understand her when she basically said she cant tell her daughter how important a college degree is without having one.
Aaliyah Caldwell
I commend Dr. Johnson for going to school and realizing it's never too late. I'm glad she found a passion and chased it until it became a reality. Getting paid to do what you love.
This article is very motivational it makes people see that you can be young or an older adult and still complete college. Sometimes Its interesting to think about how our world would be without colleges. Dr. Johnson is a great role model.
I think it is very important to have a college degree of some sort because it will help you in life with a good job to help you better your family. I think it looks good on you to have a degree in any circumstance, and it makes you feel good to have a degree.
I think Dr. Johnsons desire to go back to school to get her degree based off of wanting the best for her daughter is very inspirational and many parents should do the same. Kids have a hard time listening to adults already as it is, listening to someone who isn't taking their own advice is hypocritical and they most likely won't feed into it. It is important to follow by example which is why it is a good thing that she finished getting her degree before she explained to her daughter the very importance of it.
apreshana page
I agree with this statement. I know for me personally it was the other way around with my family. I actually inspired my mom to go back to school because she didn't want me to get my degree before she did. Funny thing is, this is like her fifth degree already.
In this blog there was a great point that was made. She as a woman in society was seen as for the most part successful. But wanted her child to be successful as well and wanted her to have a degree when she didn’t even have one. It's just a good thing she realized that before and not after. She might have thought back on it and regret her not getting that degree to do more in life.
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