Why Study Anthropology and Sociology?

Question

Why Study Anthropology and Sociology?

Answer 1

There are two main reasons. First, Arts courses are meant to broaden our minds and help us appreciate the workings of our world. And, after all, virtually everything we do takes place in social groups, be it science, business, even breaking laws, etc. Anthropology and sociology raise important questions about the ways we collectively think and act. In doing so, they make us more aware of social prejudices and make us more open-minded about others. In sum, they give us new perspectives on things we take for granted.

  

     Second, these fields are relevant to various kinds of work. In the past, most anthropologists and sociologists worked as professors, but that is changing rapidly. Now, they work in many settings: in industry, government, and social services, etc. Both anthropology and sociology prepare people to do research in social settings, to design and assess social policy, to guide the implementation of programs and policies, and do various kinds of organizational and social- service work. Since they provoke social sensitivity, they provide excellent preparation for work in our increasingly multicultural world.

  

     Like other Arts fields, anthropology and sociology programs do not offer training for specific jobs. But both are helpful in accessing and succeeding in many careers. Many Arts degree graduates, these days, go on to take specific vocational training programs. Both fields are relevant to further studies in a wide variety of professional programs, such as community development and other social-work specialties, criminology, health promotion, journalism, and law. Both anthropology and sociology can be used as "teachables" for entry into education programs (though some restrictions apply, and students should check the requirements of the B.Ed. programs at the universities they are interested in attending). In short, anthropology and sociology are useful for any field that requires an understanding of social issues and social-problem solving..

Answer 2

These days there isn't a whole lot of reason to study both, as they've become nearly the same thing.  Once upon a time, anthropology was a physical science which studied men in the same way that marine biologists studied fish.  The nearest you can find in recent history to actual anthropology is Jane Goodall's study of apes.

Anthropology has been corrupted by several ideas that beg proving but which never seem to get proved.  One of those ideas is that the races of man are equals (this idea is now being incrementally displaced by the idea that race does not exist).  Another is that multiculturalism is a good thing, and that it is here to stay.

I suspect political foul play is afoot.  Firm positions regarding the fundamental subject matter of a science should not be made without evidence, as if it were some kind of dogma.  And yet that is exactly how "racial equality" has been made the firm position of many who call themselves anthropologists today. It's no surprise that most of those who call themselves "sociologists" have the same dogmatic allegience to the same ideas.

Once, anthropology was a science, and, one day, it might be again a science.  But for as long as it continues to make its conclusions dogmatically, instead of scientifically, it will NOT be a science.

Answer 3

I started taking both of those courses and dropped them in school, I found political science, psychology, history, economics and art history to be much more applicable and more stringent for my general university requirements...the anthro and soc classes were mainly fluff with little or no instruction of value and were highly politicized...you had to regurgitate the instructors opinion on everything.

Answer 4

Yes, why, when you can study evolutionary biology. There you get coherent theory in the same area, but devoid of the ideological, relativistic nonsense of these two social sciences.