Anthropology – Albright College

Anthropology

LIBERAL ARTS OVERVIEW

Many majors, such as Anthropology and Women’s and Gender Studies, give students experiences they need to succeed in a variety of areas. Our Anthropology program can give students many skills to thrive in other fields. Students from our Anthropology program have also gone into the fields of social work, business, education, and non-profits. Their courses, projects, and involvement have given them “transferable skills,” which are skills that can be used for most careers. Some transferable skills learned by Anthropology majors are written and verbal communication, problem solving, empathy and public speaking. The core of Anthropology is to better the student’s understanding of their effect on the world. In turn, this helps students feel comfortable working with others who may not have the same values, beliefs, and vision, and helps them to appreciate those with differing views. Students in Anthropology will gain and understanding of themselves and the world around them.

ANTHROPOLOGY

What is Anthropology? (from http://uncw.edu/career/anthropology.html)

Anthropology is the study of humans. Anthropology is a broad and unique field, that examines humankind both scientifically and humanistically. Anthropology looks at the human experience from a holistic, cross-cultural perspective, and encompasses several different approaches. These approaches comprise the four subfields of the discipline of Anthropology in the United States: cultural anthropology, physical/biological anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics.      

What is the career of an anthropologist like?

Anthropologists study the origin and the physical, social and cultural development and behavior of humans. They may examine the way of life, archaeological remains, language or physical characteristics of people in various parts of the world. Some compare the customs, values and social patterns of different cultures. Anthropologists usually concentrate in sociocultural anthropology, linguistics, biophysical or physical anthropology.

Sociocultural anthropologists study the customs, cultures and social lives of groups in settings that range from unindustrialized societies to modern urban centers. Linguistic anthropologists investigate the role of, and changes to, language over time in various cultures. Biophysical anthropologists research the evolution of the human body, look for the earliest evidences of human life, and analyze how culture and biology influence one another. Physical anthropologists examine human remains found at archaeological sites in order to understand population demographics and factors, such as nutrition and disease, which affected these populations.

Archaeologists examine and recover material evidence, including the ruins of buildings, tools, pottery and other objects remaining from past human cultures, to determine the history, customs and living habits of earlier civilizations. With continued technological advances making it increasingly possible to detect the presence of underground anomalies without digging, archaeologists will be able to better target excavation sites. Another technological advancement is the use of a geographic information system (GIS) for tasks such as analyzing how environmental factors near a site may have affected the development of a society. Most anthropologists and archaeologists specialize in a particular region of the world.

What are the other career opportunities for an anthropology major? (from http://uncw.edu/career/anthropology.html)
Related Career Titles (Some may require education beyond bachelor’s degree)

ENTRY LEVEL

 

Analyst Caseworker Community Development Specialist
Community Service Administrator Curatorial Assistant Ecotourism Director
Employment Recruiter Field Archaeologist Friend of the Court Enforcement Caseworker
Immigration Inspector Information Officer Laboratory Assistant
Legislative Aide Management Trainee Marketing Researcher
Multicultural Program Leader Museum Technician National/State Park Interpreter
Peace Corps/Humanitarian Agency Worker Probation Officer Program Coordinator/Assistant
Public Relations Specialist Research Associate Social Worker
Teacher/Trainer Translator Travel Agent/Guide/Consultant
Writer Editor

JOBS REQUIRING ADDITIONAL EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

Academic Advisor/Counselor Advocate Anthropologist
Archaeologist Archivist Art Conservator
Behavioral Science Advisor Bilingual/Bicultural Program Specialist Biographer
Career Counselor Collections Manager College Professor
Community Development Officer Community Planner Congressional Committee Staff Director
Contract Archaeologist Coroner/Medical Examiner
Cultural Artifact Specialist/ Cultural Resource Manager Employee Relations Specialist Environmental Impact Assessment Researcher
Ethnologist Family Service Counselor Foreign Affairs Officer
Forensic Anthropologist Foundation Program Manager Genealogist
Genetic Counselor Head Start Program Director Health Science Administrator
Human Resources Manager Industrial Psychologist International Agency Rep
Librarian Linguist Management Consultant
Marketing Manager Media Planner Media Specialist
Medical Anthropologist Multicultural Education Specialist/Director Museum Education Director
Paleontologist Park Service Supervisor/Director Peace Corps Area Director
Physician Public Health Educator Rural Development Officer
Scientific Linguist Social Insurance Rep Social Science Analyst
Social Service Agency Planner Social Worker Vocational Teacher
State/Federal Government Policy Analyst Teacher – ESL Teacher – Secondary
Technical Writer Union Legal Counsel Urban Planner

How do you get ready?

  • Most professional anthropological jobs require a graduate degree.
  • Those interested in anthropology may specialize in one of its four branches: archaeology, cultural anthropology, linguistics, or physical anthropology. Many subfields exist within the larger specialties, such as forensic anthropology, a subfield of physical anthropology. Typically, students take a general curriculum as an undergraduate and specialize through graduate studies.
  • As the demand for university/college faculty positions decreases, most openings will exist in consulting firms and government agencies.
  • To increase your employment opportunities with a bachelor’s degree, consider minoring or double majoring in another field such as sociology, business, urban planning or public administration.
  • Anthropology provides a solid background for a variety of graduate programs, including law, medicine, forensics or genetic counseling. Research admissions requirements and take prerequisite courses.
  • Anthropology is good preparation for jobs that involve people skills and require an understanding of cultural differences.
  • Spend a summer in field school or travel and study other cultures.
  • Volunteer to help with a professor’s research.
  • Gaining relevant work experience through internships, practicums, part-time jobs or volunteer positions is critical.

Related Major Skills (from http://uncw.edu/career/anthropology.html)

Planning projects
Writing grant proposals
Interviewing/surveying
Sampling, gathering and organizing data
Examining data and artifacts		 Conducting field studies
Summarizing results
Communication across cultures/languages
Recognizing cultural differences/similarities

What about the future?

“Employment of anthropologists and archeologists is projected to grow 19 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. However, because it is a small occupation, the fast growth will result in only about 1,400 new jobs over the 10-year period.”

For additional job outlook information, refer to www.bls.gov/oco.

Available at Albright College Career Development Center’s Resource Library

  • Great Jobs for Anthropology Majors, by Blythe Camenson
  • Great Jobs for Sociology Majors, by Stephen Lambert
  • Careers for Environmental Types and Others Who Respect the Earth, by Jane Kinney and Michael Fasulo
  • Careers for Foreign Language Aficionados and Other Multilingual Types, by H. Ned Seelye and J. Laurence Day
  • Careers for History Buffs and Others Who Learn From the Past, by Blythe Camenson
  • Careers for Puzzle Solvers and Other Methodical Thinkers, by Jan Goldberg
  • Careers for Caring People and Other Sensitive Types, Adrian Paradis
  • Careers for Good Samaritans and Other Humanitarian Types, by Marjorie Eberts and Margaret Gisler
  • Careers for Kids At Heart and Others Who Adore Children, by Marjorie Eberts and Margaret Gisler
  • Careers for Legal Eagles and Other Law-and-Order Types, by Blythe Camenson
  • Careers for Mystery Buffs and Other Snoops and Sleuths, by Blythe Camenson
  • Careers for Number Crunchers and Other Quantitative Types, by Rebecca Burnett
  • Careers for Scholars and Other Deep Thinkers, by Blythe Camenson
  • Careers in Criminology, by Marilyn Morgan
  • Careers in Sociology, by W. Richard Stephens, Jr.
  • The Complete Guide to Environmental Careers in the 21st Century, by The Environmental Careers Organization
  • Opportunities in Environmental Careers, by Odom Fanning
  • Opportunities in Foreign Language Careers, by Wilma M. Rivers
  • Opportunities in Museum Careers, by Blythe Camenson
  • Opportunities in Overseas Careers, by Blythe Camenson
  • Opportunities in Teaching Careers, by Janet Fine
  • Opportunities in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, by Blythe Camenson
  • Opportunities in Child Care Careers, by Renee Wittenberg
  • Opportunities in Federal Government Careers, by Neale Baxter
  • Opportunities in Gerontology and Aging Services Careers, by Ellen Williams
  • Opportunities in Hospital Administration Careers, by I. Donald Snook, Jr.
  • Opportunities in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Careers, by James Stinchcomb
  • Opportunities in Social Science Careers, by Rosanne J. Marek
  • Opportunities in Social Work Careers, by Renee Wittenberg
  • Opportunities in State and Local Government Careers, by Neale Baxter

Disclaimer

Links to Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement by Albright College or the Experiential Learning and Career Development Center.

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