Anthropology Minor
Department website: https://www.atu.edu/behaviorsci/
Mission Statement: The Anthropology minor provides students with a comprehensive understanding of human societies and cultures, both past and present. Through the study of archaeology and cultural anthropology, students gain critical thinking skills and global perspectives. This interdisciplinary program encourages an appreciation for the complexity of human behavior and thought while fostering a deeper awareness of the cultural and social worlds that shape our lives.
Complementary Majors and Career Paths
- Cultural Resources Management: Anthropologists and archeologists increasingly work to preserve and conserve archaeological resources and to ensure that companies and public agencies comply with legislation aimed at protecting those resources.
- Sociology: Provides a strong foundation for understanding social structures and behaviors, with anthropology offering a broader cultural and historical context.
- Psychology: Explores human behavior and mental processes, which can be enhanced by anthropology’s cultural and biological approaches.
- Political Science: Anthropology’s focus on human societies and power dynamics pairs well with political studies of governance, policy, and social justice.
- History: Anthropology’s insights into the development of human societies and cultures can complement historical analysis, especially in the fields of social and cultural history.
- Environmental Science: Anthropological approaches to human-environment interactions are highly valuable in environmental science, especially in studying sustainability and indigenous knowledge systems.
- Wildlife Management: Anthropology’s focus on human-environment relationships and cultural approaches to natural resource management can support careers in wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, and species protection.
- Sustainable Agriculture: Combining Anthropology with agricultural studies gives insight into the cultural practices of food production and land use, while exploring sustainable farming methods and the socio-economic impact of agriculture on indigenous communities.
- Ecology and Conservation Biology: Anthropology’s cultural insights into indigenous knowledge systems and human interactions with nature can be vital in conservation biology, helping to develop effective conservation strategies.
- Urban Planning/Environmental Planning: Anthropology’s exploration of human communities and their spatial relationships provides valuable knowledge for urban planners working on sustainable development projects and understanding cultural contexts in city planning.
- Public Health (Environmental or Global Health): Anthropology’s focus on human adaptation and cultural complexity complements global health initiatives, especially in addressing how communities interact with their environments and manage resources for health outcomes.