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Frequently Asked Questions About Anthropology

Author:		Grant Dunham
Posted:		2/5/2002; 1:51:59 PM
Topic:		Frequently Asked Questions About Anthropology
Msg #:		2 (top msg in thread)
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What is Anthropology?

Anthropology is the comprehensive study of human beings. There are many subdisciplines with Anthropology, including:

• Ethnography - the study of contemporary societies and their culture(s) through participant observation.
• Ethnology - the comparison of particular social or cultural phenomena across two or more societies.
• Archaeology - the study of past society and culture through the recovery of their material remains and the reconstruction of their environmental context.
• Biological (or Physical) Anthropology - the study of the human body and its interaction with the environment. This can include the study of the remains of ancient humans (Paleo-Anthropology), such as the bones of our hominid ancestors like Australopithecus, or contemporary issues in health and illness (Medical Anthropology).
• Linguistics - the study of human language and communication. Included in this realm of study are: Descriptive Linguistics, which is the detailed study of the grammar, syntax, and lexicon of a single language; Historical Linguistics, which is the comparison of different languages to determine their historical relationships; and Semiotics, which is the study of "meta-linguistic" communication, such as signs, text, and body movements associated with the relay of messages between humans.

How do I become an Anthropologist?

The minimum professional standard is the completion of a Masters degree within the discipline, which in itself requires the completion of a Bachelor of Arts or Science in Anthropology or a related discipline (such as biology or sociology). In fact, many of the best anthropologists entered anthropology from different fields. Edmund Leach was an engineer; E. E. Evans Pritchard was a classicist; Franz Boas was studying the physics of colour in the arctic where he encountered the Inuit and shifted his studies to their cultural adaptations to the northern latitudes.

How far along in Anthropology can I get at Yukon College?

You can complete your first two years of a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology at Yukon College.

Will my courses in Anthropology at Yukon College transfer to an Outside university?

All of the Anthropology courses you might take at Yukon College are fully transferable to southern universities. Details of transferability are listed on the course descriptions, which you can link to from the home page.

Is Archaeology really as much fun as it is portrayed in the Indiana Jones's movies?

Archaeology isn't near as dangerous as shown in the movies, but in my experience it is nearly as much fun.