What Is Anthropology?

Anthropology is a holistic, interdisciplinary science of humanity. It is the study of people--their origins, adaptations and ecology, distribution, customs, languages, and social and religious beliefs. Anthropological study includes human genetics as well as personality and society, the prehistoric past as well as the global present, indigenous peoples as well as cosmopolitan migrants, the customs of ancient civilizations as well as the beliefs of peoples today and the study of our evolutionary relatives, the non-human primates.

Reconstructing societies and civilizations of the past, analyzing the cultures and languages of contemporary peoples and studying the activities of our closest animal relatives, anthropology offers a unique awareness of our place in nature--who we are, where we come from, and what in the future we may be able to achieve. This foundation of understanding our social and cultural differences contributes to intelligent decision making and preparation for full participation in life and work.

Who Are We?

Our department has many strengths. Current faculty conduct research in such varied geographical areas as the United States, India, Nepal, Tibet, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Gabon, Cameroon, Tanzania, Senegal, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lithuania, the Caribbean, Ecuador, and Brazil.

Recent faculty research has included projects on Egyptian popular culture, medical knowledge in cyberspace, meditation and mental health, Nepalese shamanism, news media and globalization in India, primate archaeology, social and cultural change among the Navajo, and Soviet nostalgia in Eastern Europe.

What Do We Offer?

At the intersection of the hard sciences, social sciences and humanities, anthropology is a significant part of a liberal arts curriculum. Anthropology encourages critical thinking, draws attention to the ways meanings are context-dependent, and offers a wide range of perspectives on human similarities and differences. Rooted in empirical research among human and animal communities, anthropology teaches us to learn from others, and not only about them.

As a major, anthropology provides a broad introduction to archaeology and to biological, linguistic and physical anthropology, while still allowing students to explore their individual interests. As a minor, anthropology ensures an important cross-cultural dimension to your major field of study. The Anthropology Department also offers thematic sequences in World Cultures and Museum Studies. Students seeking to fulfill Miami Plan elective requirements may wish to take ATH 175 "Peoples of the World" or ATH 185 "Cultural Diversity in the U.S." In addition, many fascinating upper division anthropology courses have no prerequisites, allowing non-majors to take them as electives.

In addition to its strong support for undergraduate research by majors, the Anthropology Department encourages research at home and abroad for all Miami students through summer and semester workshops. The newest is our semester program among the Tibetan exile community in Dharamsala, India. Anthropology faculty have also offered workshops on Culture and Environment of Brazil, Caribbean Archaeology and Archaeological Field Methods in central Ohio.