Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

The University of Sydney

Social and cultural anthropology is the holistic study of humankind, both what we share in common and what is particular to different cultural groups. The discipline emphasises humans' innate capacity to create culture, and the need for individuals to become part of a culture in order to thrive.Anthropology allows you to develop discerning views on major issues in the world today. You will learn how to participate in larger debates in the social sciences by contributing cross-cultural comparisons and generalisations. You will discover that a genuine understanding of another culture requires an awareness that your own culture is only one possibility in a field of human diversity.Your studies will explore core methods and theories of cultural analysis and develop an appreciation of how our own culture shapes our understanding of others and ourselves.Key research and teaching areas include: area studies (China, Indigenous Australia, Latin America, Melanesia, Southeast Asia) the study of key issues in the world today across different cultures and societies, including economic inequality, health outcomes and healing systems, religious traditions and movements, gender relations, and forms of families critique of racism, multiculturalism, development, the environment and the history, theories and methods of anthropology.As a graduate you will have a sophisticated understanding of cultural difference in a globalised world, and the capacity to analyse cross-cultural settings wherever they occur. These are important skills for employment in a wide range of public, private, and non-profit organisations.

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