About Anthropology

Anthropology asks the question, "What does it mean to be human?"

It seeks the answers to that question by integrating varied sources of knowledge: How is being human affected by the dynamics between culture, the environment, and biology? What can we learn about the total repertoire of being human by looking at societies very different from middle-class American society? How are we to understand the evolution of our uniquely biocultural species? What do archaeological sites reveal about human societies in the past? How can the reflexive nature of anthropology better prepare us for living in today's diverse and globalized world?

Students engaged in the study of anthropology emerge from the program prepared to

• better understand themselves in their own sociocultural context.
• better understand and communicate across cultural boundaries.
• pursue careers involving social interaction and policy; for example, academic and applied anthropology, business, education, environmental protection, government, health, law, religion, social work, etc.
• pursue graduate work in anthropology, business, foreign area studies, law, other social sciences and related fields.

Students can major in Anthropology or enhance another major like Environmental Studies, Global and Cultural Studies, or the Whittier Scholars Program with Anthropology courses.