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Sociology is the study of group life: its characteristic changes, causes and consequences. It
combines scientific and humanistic perspectives in the study of urban and rural life, family patterns
and relationships, social change, inter-group relations, social class, environment, communications,
health-seeking behavior, as well as social movements and community responses to disasters,
natural and created.
Sociology is a valuable liberal arts major for students planning careers not only in social research,
criminology, demography, or social psychology, for example, but also for those pursuing a course of
study in public administration, gerontology, education, rehabilitation social work, and market research.
It provides a useful background for those planning to enter law, business, medicine, community plan-
ning, architecture, and even politics. In many professional schools, courses in sociology are part of
the required training.
The wide selection of courses in sociology offers the student the opportunity to:
1. Focus on criminal justice;
2. Concentrate on urban issues;
3. Study social institutions (educational, economic, or religious institutions, as well as the family);
4. Examine the forms and sources of social inequalities, including tose of class, race, ethnicity,
and gender.
Anthropology is the comprehensive study of the human condition, the origin of our species in evolu-
tionary biology, and the development of culture and society in its many variations among ancient and
contemporary peoples. Its subject matter encompasses an immense time depth and a vast spatial
range, including the simplest human societies and the most complex modern industrial civilization.
Anthropology brings together many areas of scientific and humanistic inquiry, unifying and integrating
knowledge about people and their perceptions of the world.
A major in anthropology is important for those who seek to understand our multiethnic society and the
varieties of culture on our planet. It is a valuable asset for any work entailing contact with the public
and especially for careers involving international affairs or travel. The experience with cultural diversity
that anthropology provides is excellent preparation for law, business, and other graduate studies, and
its biological component makes it attractive to admissions officers of medical schools. The synthe-
sizing nature of anthropology allows it to work well as a double major with other areas of the humani-
ties as well as the natural and social sciences.
Courses in anthropology cover the traditional four fields: cultural anthropology (ethnology), archaeo-
logy, physical anthropology, and anthropological linguistics. The first two fields are best represented
by the specializations of current faculty. Archaeology and physical anthropology are offered at Rose
Hill, anthropological linguistics is offered at Lincoln Center, and cultural anthropology is offered at
both campuses and in the College of Liberal Studies.
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Sociology and Anthropology
