Career as Anthropology
Anthropologists are scientists who study the development and behaviors of human beings throughout the world, present and past, to help better understand humanity as a whole. They examine biological, archaeological, linguistic or sociocultural traditions, depending on their area of expertise. Anthropologists are needed throughout the world in a wide range of environments, from studying land use in remote, sparsely populated areas to urban dialects in major cities. They may research human interactions for government agencies, corporations and nonprofits, using their skills to study trends in poverty, disease and overpopulation. Applied anthropologists may apply theory to solve current problems, such as urban planning and healthcare access.
Job Profile
1)Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and the review of documents.
2) Plan and direct research to characterize and compare the economic, demographic, health care, social, political, linguistic, and religious institutions of distinct cultural groups, communities, and organizations.
3) Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
4) Advise government agencies, private organizations, and communities regarding proposed programs, plans, and policies and their potential impacts on cultural institutions, organizations, and communities.
5) Build and use text-based database management systems to support the analysis of detailed first-hand observational records, or "field notes."
6) Identify culturally-specific beliefs and practices affecting health status and access to services for distinct populations and communities, in collaboration with medical and public health officials.
7) Develop intervention procedures, utilizing techniques such as individual and focus group interviews, consultations, and participant observation of social interaction.
8) Construct and test data collection methods.
9) Explain the origins and physical, social, or cultural development of humans, including physical attributes, cultural traditions, beliefs, languages, resource management practices, and settlement patterns.
Skills required
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
- Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Education/Outreach
- Archaeology
- Cultural Resource Management (CRM)
- Historic Preservation
- Museum/Curation/Project Design
- Community Development
- Advocacy (human rights/social justice)
- Human/Social Services
- Computers/Software Development/Information Technology
- Design (products and/or services)
- International Development/Affairs
- Forensics
Earnings
Anthropologists median annual wage will be $58,040 .
Recruiting Companies
Museums
Labs
How do I get there?
Option 1:
A degree in anthropology or related fields is required.
Pathway Courses
Where to study?
- Andrews University
- Brandeis University
- California State University, Los Angeles
- City University of New York
- Creighton University
- Durham University
- Georgia State University
- Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Oberlin College
- Oxford Brookes University
- Seton Hall University
- Shoreline Community College
- Southern Utah University
- The University of Texas
- Trent University
- University of Aberdeen
- University of Bristol
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of Fraser Valley
- University of Iowa
- University of Kent
- University of Latvia
- University of North Carolina
- University of Rhode Island
- University of Silesia
- Vanderbilt University
- Witchita State University