Anthropology is the holistic, cross-cultural study of humanity that explores the multiple ways humans live and create meaning in the world. Studying anthropology provides students with an understanding of the varied nature of past and present cultures, as well as a deeper awareness and appreciation of the world in which they live.
At Northeastern University, the sociology and anthropology department specializes in cultural anthropology and social anthropology—the relationship of culture to the institutions, relationships, and practices of everyday life that make up social structures.
A major in anthropology prepares students for occupations in government, business, and community organizations, in fields as wide ranging as international affairs, medicine, environmental protection, social services, education, historic preservation, law, and business. In addition, the major serves as excellent preparation for advanced academic and professional study in the social sciences.
Student Learning Outcomes
Through our curriculum, we anticipate students will gain the ability to:
Identify and describe principal features of the discipline and practice of anthropology.
Apply theoretical concepts from the discipline of anthropology to current social phenomena.
Identify and describe how anthropology has analyzed systems of power and inequality, including race, caste, gender, and class.
Describe and analyze how various cultures have been impacted by and engaged with globalization, colonialism and imperialism, and other contemporary and historical operations of power and inequality.
Describe what constitutes ethnographic data and how it is generated and created.
Identify and explain the ethical implications embedded in anthropological research, such as researcher positionality.
Identify and analyze anthropological debates and communicate them effectively in multiple media.
