Anthropology (Social and Cultural)

Bachelor of Arts 

(Faculty of Arts)

Are you interested in learning about other cultures and societies? The Social and Cultural Anthropology program can change the way you think about the world and how you see other people. Almost every cross-cultural inquiry in social and cultural anthropology questions the perceived wisdom, shared assumptions and values in our own culture. The program constantly challenges with new perspectives as you try to grasp the logic and coherence of cultures and worldviews different from your own. As part of the inquiry of Social and Cultural Anthropology, we seek to understand and explain particular human social and cultural phenomena by placing them within a wider comparative context. For example, certain cultures have highly elaborated patterns of organized violence – competition, feuding, and warfare. Considered in isolation, about all one could do is label them ‘warlike’. But if one studies patterns of organized violence within a wide range of societies, one can begin to see, for example, that certain modes of livelihood or patterns of social organization tend, over and over again, to be associated with particular patterns or styles of violence.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission applicants are required to present appropriate high school subjects and a competitive average.

Application/Document Deadlines 

Why take this program?

• Holistic perspective:  Taking a holistic perspective means the subject matter is not reduced to a series of predetermined abstractions, but that local differences are viewed within the framework of the place of the species as a whole in nature. Although all anthropologists study concrete ‘parts’, the ‘whole’ is never lost sight of.
• Overcoming ethnocentrism: ‘Ethnocentric’ is an adjective which refers to assessing attributes of other societies by the ideals and standards of one’s own culture. By the standards of our own society, for example, hunting and gathering people may appear ‘unfulfilled’, even though by their own measure they are well off and lead rewarding lives. Anthropological thinking tends not to be judgmental or ethnocentric, and seeks to understand other societies in terms of their own standards and values.
• Honours program: It has long been the experience of Anthropologists that their immersion in exotic worldviews and perspectives on reality tends to give rise to new ways of looking back at their own society and culture. One way in which you may be able to develop this skill is through an honours project that allows you to hone certain types of critical anthropological skills through inquiry-based projects. At the same time, an honours degree helps you to begin to understand the rigors of research involved in graduate work and determine if you are ready for that challenge.
• Credit Travel Studies (Courtesy of Groups Program Office): Both the Dance Program and the Department of Anthropology recognize the importance of preparing university graduates for life in an increasingly intercultural and global society. Through the study of dance, participants develop an awareness of body language and non-verbal expression of different cultures while through the study of Anthropology the focus shifts to the study of human activity through participation and observation through theoretical contexts.  The combination of the two perspectives in the unique social and political context of Cuba will provide an extremely rich learning environment for participants in this program. 

What will I study in my first year?

A degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology begins with an introductory course (ANTH 203) which considers the nature of human society. Students are introduced to the comparative approach that is a mainstay of anthropology. Anthropological study is undertaken further through courses such as Anthropological Theory (ANTH 391) and, for example, Ethnography of Global-Local Dynamics (ANTH 393). In the Faculty of Social Sciences students are encouraged to take a variety of Social Sciences courses, as well as courses from the faculties of Science, Humanities and Communication and Culture. For example, some students take Linguistics courses in their first year in order to gain a better understanding of how language is a central feature of all cultures.

What will I study in later years?

Obtaining a degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology means you will be well-versed in ethnography – a method of data collection, also called participant-observation field study – enabling you to understand how various cultures have been studied, and providing you with the skills to interpret the data that comes from ethnographic studies. A variety of courses are part of this ethnographic component, from courses such as the Ethnographic Survey of North Africa (ANTH 319) to the study of Ritual and Cultural Performance (ANTH 469).

What can I do with this degree? (Courtesy of Career Services)

Graduates of the Social and Cultural Anthropology BA program have a number of marketable skills, including: adaptability, analytic skills, knowledge of field studies, cross-cultural understandings, communication skills, data gathering and data analysis skills. The ability to put information into context is central to what one learns in this degree and is a widely applicable to a variety of careers.

Possible careers include:

• Anthropologist
• Bicultural Program Specialist
• Community Development Officer
• Cultural Artifacts Specialist
• Foreign Affairs Officer
• Forensic Anthropologist
• Government Policy Analyst
• Multicultural Education Specialist
• Museum Education Director
• Rural Development Officer

For a more comprehensive list of careers, visit the Career Services website or click here for the Anthropology careers PDF.

Additional Information

Department of Anthropology