Anthropology
About the major
Anthropologists want to know what it means to be human. To understand someone’s way of life, we believe that we must meet them, listen to them, and learn from their experiences. We take people seriously: we’re curious about what they do so we sit with them and hear their stories. To answer our questions, we work from the ground up. Anthropologists do research all over the world, in every situation in which people live. We assume that there is no one correct or normal way for people to live as a society, and so we also reflect on the rights of fellow humans in a world made up of diverse forms of being. At a time when our collective existence is at stake, anthropologists are finding ways we can live in, organise, and heal our world by learning alternative ways to be human.
In our classes, students explore people’s social experiences and cultural worldviews through ethnographic interpretations based on firsthand, participatory, and immersive methods. Anthropology students ask profound questions of social theory and engage with urgent current debates about our global future in which anthropology offers new possibilities and alternative visions. Some of the central areas we examine in anthropology
units are:
- How are people’s relationships with the natural environment changing in the face of planetary ecological collapse?
- How do global forces driving social inequality influence people’s lives, fortunes, health, relationships, and wellbeing?
- Why do so many societies struggle with the legacies of colonialism and racism, and how have communities survived these historical injuries and their afterlives?
- What is necessary for people who are invisible to be seen, heard, and heeded?
- How have new struggles for justice and new global networks emerged in response to rapid political, economic, and ecological change?
Graduates in anthropology are uniquely creative thinkers who can express their ideas effectively, ask tough questions, and discover new answers to complex problems. They have opportunities to pursue a variety of careers in media, journalism, research, education, technology, social justice, and social policy, and are well prepared for professional and postgraduate programs.
Requirements for completion
The Anthropology major and minor requirements are listed in the Anthropology unit of study table.
Advanced Coursework
Requirements and units of study for advanced coursework can be found on the advanced coursework units of study.
Honours
Anthropology Honours is an opportunity to explore ideas and issues in anthropology that excite you. During the Honours course, you will develop an independent, one-year project of reading and research under the mentorship of a member of the Anthropology staff. In the first semester, you will take two seminar-based units in anthropology and the social sciences that prepare you to develop your own position on open questions in the discipline. You will also begin work on research towards a 20,000-word thesis. Your Anthropology mentor will support your formulation of a research problem and identification of the literature and empirical material required to address it. Anthropology Honours is a useful stepping stone to future research, and is a valuable learning experience in its own right.
Honours admission requirements
Admission to honours is via the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and requires the completion of a major in Anthropology with an average of 70 percent or above.
Prior to commencing, you will need to ensure you have completed all other requirements of the Bachelor of Arts or other bachelor degree, including Open Learning Environment (OLE) units. For pre-July 2024 students, where undertaking Bachelor of Advanced Studies, a second major is also required.
Requirements and units of study for honours can be found on the Anthropology honours units of study page.
Contacts and further information
Website: Discipline of Anthropology
Contact: ssps.enquiries@sydney.edu.au
