Overview
Anthropologists study humanity in the broadest possible sense. We try to discover why people behave the way they do, and document how human behavior varies around the world. At Rochester, our department specializes in sociocultural anthropology – the comparative study of contemporary human cultures and societies—and medical anthropology—the study of how people experience and understand health and illness in different cultural and social contexts. Our faculty have conducted research around the world, including in Latin America, India, Southeast Asia, China, and the United States. We offer both majors and minors in anthropology or medical anthropology. Many of the requirements for the majors and minors overlap, so it is easy to switch tracks should your interests change or should you decide to turn a minor into a major. Both majors provide students with in-depth training in anthropological research methods, social theory, critical thinking, and cross-cultural comparison. Students in either major can pursue honors through additional coursework and the completion of an honors thesis.
Our collective expertise covers classical anthropological questions regarding:
- Family and kinship
- Myth and ritual
- Ethnicity and race
- Gender and sexuality
- Capitalism and exchange
The department also explores contemporary preoccupations with food, environment, law and human rights, global religions and science, and technology.
Academics
The department offers a BA in anthropology, a BA in medical anthropology as well as a BA with Honors, 2 minors, and several clusters.
Our program provides students with a foundation in social theory and fieldwork methodology, and emphasizes critical thinking and cross-cultural understanding.
Many of the courses in the department involve hands-on research. We train students in:
- Interviewing techniques
- Team research
- Data analysis
- Presenting one’s findings to an audience
This program prepares students to cope with the economic, political, and social issues of a rapidly changing world.
Interested in majoring or minoring in anthropology? Check out How I Discovered My Passion for Anthropology by Jamie Rudd ‘17.