What is Anthropology?
April 20, 2023
When you think of anthropology, your mind may wander to popular media depictions of the discipline presented in television shows and movies like “Bones,” “Star Trek,” “Indiana Jones” and “Midsommar.” While there may be some truth to these portrayals, these are highly fictionalized accounts of the field of anthropology. If you’re interested in the subject you, may be asking yourself ‘what is anthropology, and what does an anthropologist actually do?’ A degree offered through UC’s College of Arts and Sciences, anthropology is an interdisciplinary major that investigates various aspects of the human condition and offers a range of career and post-graduate options. Anthropologists have an unbounded view of human history and evolution. They study the diverse origins, evolutionary pathways, and contemporary lives of humans across the globe. As careful observers of humans in their everyday surroundings, anthropologists often conduct intensive fieldwork to understand the complex interplays between individuals and the world around them. Anthropology offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees and provides students with a unique combination of analytical skills and experiential engagement with the complexities of global human diversity.