Anthropology

Overview

The major also has courses in the subfield of linguistics and archaeology.

Anthropology offered by Furman University is distinguished by its emphasis upon holism, cultural relativism, and the value of the perspectives of both insiders and outsiders. A holistic approach to cultures emphasizes the larger, functional integration of language, family, politics, economics, and religion within an entire culture. Through the practice of cultural relativism, anthropologists seek to avoid the inherent biases of ethnocentrism by understanding a culture from the viewpoint of its own members. Finally, anthropology maintains a balanced appreciation of insider’s and outsider’s understandings of a given culture.

Anthropology is the ideal liberal arts major in that it straddles the boundary between the sciences and humanities. It is both the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities. As anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn put it, “Anthropology provides a scientific basis for dealing with the crucial dilemma of the world today: how can peoples of different appearance, mutually unintelligible languages, and dissimilar ways of life get along peaceably together?”

Career Opportunities

A major in anthropology provides good preparation for students going into medicine and health-related careers, law, business, and non-profit and community-based organizations.