Anthropology
Anthropologists investigate human cultural variation and diversity by immersing themselves in the intimate everyday lives of the groups that they study. Ethnography—involving participant observation in local communities, informal and formal interviewing, detailed field notes, and visual and other forms of documentation—is the hallmark of the anthropological research enterprise. Basing their ethnographic studies in different parts of the world, anthropologists explore complex and important issues such as social inequality, gender, technology, public health, migration, religion, human rights, climate change, and globalisation. At Yale-NUS, faculty specialise in a variety of subfields of cultural anthropology, including linguistic anthropology and medical anthropology, but not physical/biological anthropology or archaeology. For a more thorough description, check out the following link: https://www.yale-nus.edu.sg/anthropology/
A very useful website is the American Anthropological Association (AAA) web page on Anthropology, which provides information and helpful tips on studying anthropology and starting an anthropological career. Check out the following link: http://www.americananthro.org/
Anthropology is not a professional programme, such as public health, business, or architecture. Rather, anthropology is a “humanistic” social science, which offers students exposure to a wide range of contemporary cultural issues. Anthropology’s unique ethnographic research method teaches students valuable skills of observation, cross-cultural engagement, and analysis, through emphasising immersion in the lives of others. Such ethnographic skills and insights can prove very useful for students choosing to enter a professional programme, including, but not limited to, international affairs, medicine and public health, environmental studies, community development, social work, and the like.
Many undergraduate Anthropology majors go onto graduate school—either in PhD programmes in Anthropology, or MA and PhD programmes in other fields. To do so, you must earn good grades and develop important mentoring relationships with the Yale-NUS Anthropology faculty, who can be asked to write letters of recommendation.
Anthropology develops ‘transferable skills’ in the areas of understanding human diversity, building research skills for collecting and making sense of information, and communicating effectively. In today’s globalised world, gaining a deep understanding of cultural and ethnic differences and learning how people’s beliefs and practices fit into a wider social, political and economic context is crucial.
In the marketplace, employers are in search of the skills you gain during your degree such as analytical thinking, research and writing skills, and the confidence to deal with a variety of social situations. The study of anthropology nurtures the development of careful record-keeping approaches, considering problems from multiple perspectives and understanding components of complex problems. Our students learn to write effectively, read critically, convey complex information, speak to groups and present research findings. Culminating in the capstone project, our majors can plan projects, apply theoretical approaches to research problems, establish hypotheses and evaluate evidence.
The study of anthropology develops the capacity to understand and appreciate human relationships between groups and individuals, identify cultural/social forces, and understand diversity. In the private sector, these transferable skills are appealing across an array of career paths.
Anthropology graduates employ their valuable skills of observation and cultural analysis in NGOs, museums, academia, the arts, journalism, consulting, government, and the law, among other careers. See this useful website: http://www.americananthro.org/AdvanceYourCareer/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=2150&navItemNumber=740
