Hanover Cultural Anthropology Department
There are very few degrees you can get that apply to everything. Anthropology is always usable, in every job, any career. I've been working and studying for five years, and I'm still going back to the lessons I learned. It's a transformation of how you think about the world - what else can you ask from a college degree?
Rob Moore, Cultural Anthropology Major 2003
Why Study Cultural Anthropology?
Deciding upon a major can be an intimidating task, and you may be wondering if anthropology would be a good fit for you. If any of the following is true for you, then the cultural anthropology department at Hanover College may be just what you have been searching for.
You enjoy:
• Learning about other cultures
• History
• Language
• Investigating and observing social behavior
You want to:
• Live/travel abroad
• Take part in ethnographic research
• Analyze socio-cultural problems
• Have a more accurate global worldview
• Have a meaningful and fun academic and social experience
What Hanover Cultural Anthropology Offers
Due to modern advances in transportation and technology, the world is getting smaller everyday. Online and on the street, people from different backgrounds are crossing paths more than ever. This multiculturalism and diversity is the very essence of anthropology – a field innately global in its scope.
Anthropology can be divided into four fields:
• Socio-cultural anthropology
• Linguistics
• Archaeology
• Physical anthropology
Students will be introduced to all four fields in a broad introductory class, but the focus of Hanover College's Department of Sociology and Cultural Anthropology is socio-cultural anthropology – the study of culture and the relationship of culture to other aspects of social life.
Classroom work in politics, religion, culture, and gender will be supplemented with hands-on experience and specialized technical skills gained in the various study abroad programs and research practicum. Professors are supportive, accessible, and committed to challenging students to reach their full potential.
By providing students with practical experience and a comprehensive education, the cultural anthropology department at Hanover prepares you for graduate school and a fulfilling professional career.
Highlights
Highly Qualified and Specialized Faculty
Our faculty brings experience from around the world in a broad range of specialties. Faculty members also are active in regional and national professional societies, presenting research and serving as officers and consultants.
A Unique Learning Environment
Though we take pride in our scholarship, research programs are never more important than the learning process. We actively involve students, encourage independent thinking, and cultivate the ability to marshal evidence and rationale in support of a thesis. Writing and thinking are stressed, because communication and analytical skills are critical to success in any profession. Hanover's small classes foster the individual attention necessary to realize these goals.
Study Abroad Opportunities
The cultural anthropology department offers a variety of study abroad opportunities in which students can explore their areas of interest in new, exciting environments. Destinations for off-campus study include a Hopi reservation in Arizona, the streets and institutions of Turkey; Belgium; and Australia.
Opportunities for Research
During your senior year, you can put your classroom work to the test through academic internships or independent study courses. These opportunities give students the freedom to tackle areas of personal interest while receiving the support they need from our faculty.
Recent internships have included:
• Habitat for Humanity
• Native American Camp
• Fifth Judicial Court of Indiana
• Reach Our Youth, Inc.
• The Philadelphia Center
• The Washington Center
• Office of the Prosecuting Attorney
Recent independent studies have included:
• An Ethnographic Study of an American Zen Center
• The Life History of a Carmelite Nun
• An Anthropological Analysis of Western Stereotypes of the Veil among
• American Muslims
• An Ethnographic Study of an American Mosque
• A Medical Anthropological Analysis of the Mental Health Institution through the Life History of a Patient
• A Study of Student Attitudes Towards Interethnic Dating on a College Campus
• The Practices and Beliefs of Christian Student Organizations on a College Campus
Career Opportunities
Teaching cultural anthropology within the context of a liberal arts education equips graduates with the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to continue on to a variety of careers and/or graduate school opportunities.
Previous graduates' career and professional placements have included:
• Consultant
• Smithsonian Institution or other Museum
• Archaeologist
• National Park Service
• College Professor
• United Nations Relief Agency
• Zoologist
• Community and Regional Planning
• Forensic Criminologist
• Urban Development
• Research Analyst
• Immigration Service/Refugee Support
• Foreign Service
• Cultural Resource Management
• Anthropological Medicine
Graduate school placements have included:
• William and Mary University
• Vanderbilt University
• University of Cairo
• International University
• Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education
• Ball State University
• University of Miami at Ohio
• Oriental School of Medicine, Seattle
• Brandeis University