Overview
David Baronov, Program Director, Chair
David Bell, Kevin Clarke, Marta Rodriguez-Galán,* Barbara Rockell, Jebaroja Singh, Patricia Tweet, Pao Vue
*On leave, Spring 2017
The anthropology department strives to provide its students with a broadly comparative and comprehensive approach to the study of humanity. This generalist approach fulfills the College's mission as a liberal arts institution which, among other things, emphasizes an understanding and appreciation of the value of human diversity. By preparing students in cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology, the department provides them with the broad perspective necessary to deal with complex human issues.
Anthropology is divided into four sub-disciplines:
Cultural anthropology — comparative analysis of contemporary societies involving cultural value, social expression, and structural organization.
Biological anthropology — scientific evaluation of human origins, evolution, and both genetic and phenotypic variation.
Linguistic anthropology — assessment of the social function and expressive variation of language, as well as its biological production and acquisition.
Archeology — reconstruction and interpretation of past human civilizations and cultural change.
The Washington Experience: Fisher Semester in Washington
Anthropology majors may avail themselves of The Washington Experience, a semester in Washington, D.C. Please refer to The Washington Experience for details.