Anthropology

Anthropology examines the complexity and diversity of human experience, past and present, through evolutionary, archaeological, social, cultural, and linguistic perspectives. As such, Anthropology is a truly interdisciplinary venture that spans the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. This broad mandate has led to the division of the discipline into three broad areas of research: Archaeology; Evolutionary Anthropology; and the study of Society, Culture and Language.

Archaeologists study the material remains of the human past. Archaeological methods range widely, from the study of artifacts to the analysis of plant and animal remains, and Archaeological research covers a vast expanse of time from the earliest stone tools to the complex record let by modern industrial society. Archaeologists also grapple with a range of theoretical issues including material culture, culture change, identity, and ritual. Many archaeologists today also work in collaboration with local communities and engage with the questions of archaeological ethics.

Evolutionary Anthropology is the study of the biological diversity of humans, the history of this diversity, and the biological relationships between humans and non-human primates. Major foci in Evolutionary Anthropology include Human Biology, the study of modern humans; Osteology, the study of the human skeleton; Paleoanthropology, the study of human evolution; and Primatology, the study of non-human primates. Evolutionary anthropologists integrate biological and social variables in their explanations of the effects of evolution on humans and other primates. 

At the core of the study of Society, Culture and Language is the question of how we humans organize our lives together, and why we do so in such vastly different ways. The orientation is global and contemporary. We explore social relations: relations between kin and neighbours, between genders and generations, between ethnic groups and nations, between rich and poor, between people and the natural environment that sustains them, and between people and their gods. We also explore the production and communication of meanings through rituals, images, memories, symbols and linguistic codes. Topics include environment, power, ideology, identity, subjectivity, media, sexuality, ethics, affect, activism, health, cities, work and international development.  

A training in anthropology prepares students to think clearly and critically; to engage with a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and world views; and to reach ethically sound decisions. Programs available within the Department of Anthropology provide excellent preparation for careers in business, or public service and the non-profit sector, especially in areas where international and human diversity issues are important. Courses in anthropology provide a unique grounding and can be fruitfully combined with courses in a wide variety of other disciplines in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Undergraduate Program Administrator/Student Counsellor: Anthropology Building, 19 Ursula Franklin Street, Room 258 (416-978-6414).

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