Anthropology huh? What are you gonna do with that?

This probably should have been one of my first posts but I think now that we talked about some of the interesting facets of anthropology now would be a good time to talk about the realities of pursuing a degree in the field. I honestly can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say the title of this post to me. "Anthropology huh? What are you gonna do with that?" The most memorable time I heard it was actually the first time, when my dad asked me that question.

At first I had a wonderful way of answering: I would look at the ground, shuffle my feet, put a hand on top of my head and say, "Well... I guess I'll get my doctorate and become a professor. Hopefully write a book..." I had no idea what a degree in anthropology would do for me and I think this is a common road block for people interested in anthropology.

The reality is actually far different than what it seems. A degree in anthropology can really take you anywhere and that is because what you learn while pursuing a degree is far more multi-faceted than you can imagine. In the four years getting my Bachelor's and three working on my Master's I have received a hodge podge of important life skills that could really help a person attain almost any job.

Anthropology and research: To start with we should definitely speak on research and writing. Without any doubt these are two skills you will acquire in an anthropology program. Your writing will develop and become more and more "academic" but if you're lucky you will also learn how to capture the stories behind the science and the adventure behind the observation. An anthropologist doesn't just detail the facts and figures about a culture he/she is studying but one would also be detailing their own personal journey through the observing and being a part of the culture studied. For more on this I think reading some of the amazing descriptive works of Clifford Geertz would be in order.

www.biography.com

Anthropology and business: An anthropologist learns very quickly that they are dependent on financial resources to accomplish any research in the world. With the economic situation today it becomes very hard and competitive to seek out government or university research grants. You need to understand the dollars and cents of a project and how you are going to sustain yourself and perhaps a team while out in the field, in the laboratory, or while writing up for publishing.

Anthropology and philanthropy and fundraising: Continuing from above the needs for money mean that sometimes you need to hold events for raising funds. You learn how to partner with others within a university or possibly university to try and attain private funding. Also at times you find yourself working for free and working for a loss. An important enough project might have you doing charity work.

Anthropology and journalism: The ideal goal for any work of anthropology would be publishing. In this you become a reporter, reporting on the things that you observed in the field. You are the eyes, ears, etc. for the world who doesn't get to see the things that you have seen. You could even seek employment with some of the sources for getting anthropological information out such as travel, history or natural magazines or television.

museum.unl.edu

Anthropology and art: One thing that has always been a focus for me has been sketching what I've seen or what my peers have told me about. For both archaeology and anthropology having a working knowledge of art is a must. Whether you are trying to describe a particular ceramic piece or if you are sketching out a settlement area art is a necessity for the aspiring anthropologist. This is not to say that you need to be an artist to be an anthropologist but having some theory and technique will certainly help.

A drawing created by Anthony Saturno from a cultural resource encyclopedia.

Anthropology and nature: Zoology is an important aspect of archaeology. One of my professors in college was an expert at knowing the tiny bones that make up a wide variety of fauna. This is an incredibly important piece to the puzzle. Also many anthropologists get their entry level work done working in parks around the country. A great way to enjoy the outdoors and make a buck or two along the way.

www.richardgrubb.com

Anthropology and human nature: The reason I became an anthropologist in the first place is because while working on a degree in Criminal Justice I had a professor ask me what I wanted to do with my degree. I answered that I wanted to join the FBI or the CIA. He smiled and said a criminal justice degree might get you there but if you want to stand out when applying get a degree that really shows you understand human nature and culture...get a degree in Anthropology. I think this interaction really showed me the variety of opportunities that working in the field of anthropology can provide.

So if you decide that this is the career path for you when the first person inevitably asks you "Anthropology huh? What are you gonna do with that?" you can confidently tell them that "the sky's the limit". Feel free to comment with more "Anthropology and..." to help fill in more details on what you can do with a degree in anthropology.

Further Reading:

Geertz, Clifford. 1995. After the fact: 2 Countries, Four Cultures, One Anthropologist.  Cambridge: University of Harvard Press. Call Number: GN21.G44.A3