Do you think Anthropology is a prestigious career?

Question

Is it as prestigious as Medicine, Engineering?

Whenever I tell people about my major, they look down upon me. It doesn't impress them much. I know I shouldn't care much, but it hurts my esteem.

Answer 1

Yes!  Who else would try to make people understand eachother, if it were not Anthropologists.  We need you to be our interpretor of different cultures.  It is much more interesting than engineering, in my opinion.

Answer 2

Generally with something like that, its not the degree that is prestigious but hopefully the big job you land because of it, ie faculty chair, research head, ect. It doesnt matter anyway, it is what you are interested in, but if you got in that field for prestige Id say you picked the wrong one...try something harder in a science field like physical chemist or something

Answer 3

Prestigious in that grants and student loans can go on forever and you may eventually tire of it and flip burgers.

Answer 4

Sounds like you should be in "psychology."

[;-)

Answer 5

You know, I used to date a guy who was in Engineering for the prestige. At the time, I was a visual arts major. Now, just imagine how those conversations went about.

I think that being passionate about your subject is the most important thing. Yes, okay doctors and engineers are looked at highly, but only because their careers are obvious with an obvious need. If you're only passionate about money or prestige, Anthropology isn't the major for you.

When you say Anthropology to most people, they're probably making a face thinking, "What the h**l is that? Why would anyone study that?" If you say medicine, "Ah, yes. Doctors!" It's familiar and meaningful to them, but anthro? Who knows, but it doesn't make a lot of money!

If you really care or want the people you are talking to to understand why your major is important describe it to them. Don't just say, "Oh Anthropology" but tell them about it. Talk about it like it matters, but not for too long because they'll tune out fast. Your friends will start to understand and people will look up to you for doing something that you really care about. Of course, others will worry about your finances in comparison to theirs, but so what? Ignore it!

Answer 6

The people you talked to about your major don't know the importance of anthropology.  If it were not for anthropologists, we might not have discovered ancient civilization or the world's history.  It is through their dedication and persistence that we know the different cultures that are existing today, that we learned how the people in the past lived, that because of their discovery, we have beautiful museums and art pieces.  Yes, it's true that this profession is not as prestigious or as glamorous as the other professions but, it is just as important and as impressive than any other.  If you are really interested or have the heart for it, why listen to those lot who, in their ignorance, must be ashamed of themselves.

Answer 7

Happiness is several thousand times more important than prestige.

It's certainly a respectable and scholarly field.

If you love it; go for it.

People sneered at me for philosophy -- they wondered why I didn't go into business.

YUCK.

It's odd that the last thing anyone ever thinks about the value of an education is actually becoming EDUCATED.

Ignore the cretins; real humans value anthropology.

Rivetting stuff!

If "who are we?" isn't an important question, I don't know what is.

Answer 8

Depends on what you do with ur degree