Cultural Anthropology Career Question?

Question

I am a sophomore working on my Anthro degree, I want to focus on Cultural Anthro because it really interests me, but at my university they push students towards archeology or stuff involving Hunter Gatherers.

The department chair gave a huge speech about how ethnographic methods are pointless and cultural anthropology is a huge waste of time. This really upset me and now I don't know what to do.

Basically, what I want to know is what exactly can I do with Cultural Anthropology careerwise? I don't necessarily want to teach and I plan to at least get my Masters and preferably my PhD if I can afford it when that time comes. So, what can I do?

Answer 1

Your chair is not very up to date im afraid.  Cultural Anthro is a very highly desired degree from multi national companies.  Go to google and look up "applied anthropology."  You will find articles and books about how businesses like AOL and Microsoft and banks and Verizon and ATTnT are hiring us (i am also a cultural anthro) to do research for them.  it is a new field that relativley nobody knows about except us and the people who relize how important we are to them.  so stick with it my friend, and one day you will be telling your chair what to do, like wash your car.

Answer 2

Buy Lottery tickets!

Answer 3

Mine pushes for arc, forensics and cultural but I'm going into applied/medical.  I would just find one faculty member who teaches or works in the area that you're interested and become their barnacle.

I want to get my masters and work in public health or do contract/consulting work...that's where the money is at.

Answer 4

Wow, I can't believe the department chair is crapping all over the bulk of anthropology like that...

Why don't you talk to one of the cultural anthro professors there?

In terms of a career...it's not like everybody who majors in English goes on to write books or teach either. I think anthropology is a vital field because it teaches you to think critically about the world but values having an open-mind and valuing different ways of doing things. It encourages both observation and theoretical reading. It just makes you an intelligent open-minded person - they're good in almost any profession!

In terms of careers actually using anthropology...there are anthropologists who work in advertising and marketing, helping to adapt products to different countries. They can work in international relations, translation, overseas manufacturing, publishing, social work, etc.

Frankly, cultural anthro is probably more useful as an undergrad degree than archaeology, which is of use mostly only to academics, and urban-planning digs that excavate before construction.

Answer 5

cultural anthr is a major field in social sciences.you can venture into the field of research after graduating.it helps in finding the connection whether causative or the result of social,economic,political,biological or religous issues with culture and cultural values of the communities under study.

       goodluck,its a interesting course to do and challenging also.

Answer 6

If you want to work as an anthropologist, you pretty much need an advanced degree.  I would recommend looking into an applied anthropology program for graduate school.  The University of North Texas offers a masters in applied anthropology online, which is the program I'm currently enrolled in.  Here's a list of school offering applied anthro programs:

http://www.sfaa.net/sfaaorgs.html

Answer 7

well as someone else said you will more than likely get into a bussines research company, but you better like statistics and business, because if that field if you liked what you studied, the tribal overviews and ethnograghic reseach there of, you will not find a job. other than business, there is always social work, either way you have to love pissy people, i'm sorry to say thati got my ba in cultural anthro and classical archeaology, all i was qualified for was social work- social services, substitute teaching and grunt field laborer in archeaology. unfortunantely it is a good thing to have a minor in anthropology, but a magor  in some other field, albit archeaology, bussiness, law, healthcare, trust me he got lucky  i have yet to see a decent paid job for anthro anywhere and those that come up are one out of 1000 candidates, so you got to be ahead of them in marketing business or other, for get about field work it wont happen. but at least you know now instead of upon graduation, think of the cost tyou got to repay, and decide if you can do it working at mcdonalds, and you will have your answer.