Saturday, July 5, 2014
Who Majors in Anthropology? Explorations Into Nontraditional Uses of Anthropology
The following information was provided via another Anthropology Blog: Savage Minds: Notes & Queries in Anthropology. The author of this blog dedicated a post to the topic of anthropology majors and what nontraditional careers these individuals found themselves in. This is related to applied anthropology in a sense, although it is not quite applied anthropology as many of these individuals are not utilizing their anthropology degrees in anthropological pursuits. It is interesting nonetheless as it demonstrates the wide scope of anthropology majors and uses of anthropology degrees.
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13 comments:
First off -- wow -- there are so many respectable and diverse notable personalities on this list, who all have close ties to anthropology!
Knowing that the study of anthropology has influenced their work, it is really starting to put things in perspective for me, especially with examples like Michael Crichton (his work with Jurassic Park is second to none in visually re-imagining how velociraptors hunt in groups) and Greg Graffin (who has written countless introspective analyses of American culture, in the form of fast-paced punk rock songs).
When reading the full post on SavageMinds.org, it was also interesting to learn that there is a bias towards anthropology majors in the notion that they may not actually be able to land jobs outside of waiting tables with their degree. For me personally, seeing this list completely dispels any portion of that myth that may have found its way into my subconscious, and I applaud each and every anthropology major that goes out and finds a way to put their knowledge of culture to use in a positive celebration of humanity's diversity.
Lastly, while anthropology is not my declared major, I will be looking for any opportunity I can to delve more into this subject, as even after reading a total of (3) chapters in our classroom text for ANTH 101, I can already see the benefits it is providing to me in how I live my life on a daily basis.
-Brian M. Ball
Wait until you get to the applied anthro module (although you can skip ahead) and read the other blog posts dedicated to individual profiles of anthropologists doing unique and wonderful things with their degrees.
I find it very interesting that a majority of the names on this list are those of people in the entertainment industry, with many of them being very renowned in their particular craft.
The two names that stuck out to me were Glenn Close and Hugh Laurie. Two accomplished actors who will always be remembered for their roles of Cruella Deville and Dr. House, respectively. This leads me to wonder if their background and research as Anthropologist Majors helped them in preparation for their award winning acting roles. For instance, did Glenn Close' anthropological background assist her in researching how to act like a upper class rich woman drunk with power and greed? Was Hugh Laurie' portrayal as a drug addicted genius of a doctor aided by studying the behaviors of addicts?
As I do not know those individuals personally, I cannot comment on how their anthropological background aided them in their acting pursuits, but I do assume that it did assist them as several other individuals with anthropology backgrounds have commented widely on that very topic.
This is a longer list than I would have thought! It appears that the same personality that would study anthropology (perhaps a people- or social-oriented person) also pursues similar interests. For example, Joan Lunden, becoming a Good Morning America host. She would come across many human interest stories, big news, and meet people from many walks of life. Or perhaps Gail Simmons; although food does not necessarily involve a lot of interact with people, it is a large element of culture and goes hand-in-hand with traditions and peoples' behaviors.
This is an empowering post to consider that getting a degree, while you may not become the cookie-cutter in that subject, can motivate you to take big steps. You can consider out-of-the-box ways to pursue your interests, or simply take the knowledge you can take reach your goals to reach a different goal in your life.
Jessica Elms
Summer 2014, Second Term
Although I have never heard of half of these people, it is interesting to see the fields they chose to continue in, even if it was not anthropology. Perhaps the knowledge they received from anthropology enabled them to gain respect and knowledge about their peers and used it to better work with them and respect the cultural barriers. It is interesting to see what they did after working in the field.
This reminds me a lot about how Steve Job's used his love of Calligraphy to assist him in the creation of the Mac. He said himself that "If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts." It definitely goes to show that something that you enjoy and seems unrelated to your career goal can later help you change the world.
-Hayden Lloyd
Thanks for sharing the Steve Jobs anecdote. It is definitely something I'll have to share with all my students.
I am impressed with all of the well known people who have degrees in anthropology. The study of humans and their behavior seems to applicable to all fields. It gives a better understanding of human nature. I would think that this knowledge could help in the pursuit of many different fields.
Courteney Hedicke, Anth 101
Which is why I maintain that any anthropology course can be useful outside of just fulfilling a degree requirement. :)
I didn't think that there was going to be people from the list that i recognize. Like Mat #4 the football player went to Florida to get a major in anthropology. I was surprised to see some people there that i would have never have guess they did a major in anthropology, depicted the fact that they are doing something totally different.
briana banuelos
antho 102 1001
Wow! it's awesome a professional athlete is still pursuing his education, that tells a lot about a person. I was surprised to find Dax Sheppard on this list because of his crude and comedic performances. No surprise finding Hugh Laurie being a very intelligent and talented actor playing a genius doctor.
Very interesting list!
Zachary Forrester
anthro 101 3001 summer
Wow it is super cool to see so many different career fields all come from the same degree. Sen. Portman was the only one up there that I recognized having an Anthropology degree. I was very surprised to see Yo Yo Ma on the list!
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