Today's anthropologists do not just work in exotic locations. They can be found in corporations, all levels of government, educational institutions and non-profit associations. Anthropologists even work in disaster areas, including Ground Zero in New York and the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.
There are not many limits on career choices for anthropologists. For example AAA Minority Dissertation Fellows' research projects have focused on virtually everything from the spread of mariarchi music across the globe, to reducing the exposure of farm workers' children to pesticides.
To determine if a career as an anthropologist is for you, think about the following questions:
What do you want to know?
Anthropologists want to know why things happen. For example, we know how AIDS is spreading but do we know why? Anthropologists tackle big human problems, such as overpopulation, warfare, and poverty.
What do you want to do?
Anthropological study and training provide the knowledge, skills and tools to work with people, study the past, and shape the future.
Where do you want to work?
Anthropologists work in practically every environment and setting imaginable. They can be found working in large corporations such as Intel and GM or studying primates in Africa. Anthropologists work in deserts, cities, schools, even in underwater archaeological sites.
From the Greek anthropos (human) and logia (study), the word anthropology itself tells us it is the field that seeks to understand humankind, from the beginnings millions of years ago up to the present day. Anthropology considers how people's behaviors changes over time, and how people and seemingly dissimilar cultures are different and the same.
There are many areas of anthropological study....
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