Anthropology studies humankind from a comparative perspective that emphasizes the diversity of human behavior and the importance of culture in explaining that diversity. While the discipline encompasses the biological nature of our species and the material aspects of human adaptation, it takes as fundamental the idea that we respond to nature and natural forces in large part through culture. Anthropology, then, is the study of human beings as cultural animals. Sociocultural anthropology draws its data from the direct study of contemporary peoples living in a wide variety of circumstances, from peasant villagers and tropical forest hunters and gatherers to urban populations in modern societies, as well as from the history and prehistory of those peoples.
The Anthropology Program at MIT offers students a broad exposure to the discipline as well as an anthropological perspective on problems and issues relevant to other fields in the humanities, social sciences, science, and engineering. It also provides more intensive introduction to areas of faculty specialization, which include social and political organization; environmentalism; religion and symbolism; photography and film; law; gender studies; nationalism; and the anthropology of medicine and scientific research. Geographical specializations include cultures of Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States.
The anthropology curriculum is divided into six groups that show the breadth of the field, with particular emphases. Introductory subjects and subjects intended for majors and minors range from 100 to 199. Social anthropology subjects that focus on specific topics are assigned to the 200 to 299 set. The subjects dealing with technology in cultural context, ranging from 300 to 399, focus on how technologies derive from and relate to their cultural settings. The next group, areal and historical studies, ranging from 400 to 599, includes subjects devoted to different regions and culture areas of the world. The offerings ranging from 600 to 699 include special topics subjects for undergraduates, and those ranging from 700 to 999 constitute advanced graduate subjects.
Students taking a concentration in anthropology take 21A.100 Introduction to Anthropology, and two other subjects. Anthropology subjects qualify for several interdisciplinary concentrations, including those in Women's and Gender Studies, Latin American Studies, and Technology, Culture, and Development.
The undergraduate program leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Anthropology (Course 21A) provides a thorough grounding in cultural anthropology.
Majors learn about the concept of culture, the nature of anthropological fieldwork, and the connections between anthropology and the other social sciences. They study the various theories that attempt to explain human behavior as well as the range of methods anthropologists use to analyze data. Students can focus on geographical areas, such as Latin America or modern western society, and on issues like neocolonialism, ethnic conflict, human rights, expressive culture, or globalization.
The anthropology student comes to understand that the hallmark of the discipline is the comparative study of human societies. Emphasis is on understanding diversity and the importance of the concept of culture in explaining that diversity, as well as on learning about the universals of behavior that underlie diversity.
The Minor Program in Anthropology consists of six subjects arranged into three tiers as shown below. Students create individual programs with the help of the minor advisor to ensure that they gain a coherent introduction to the methods, approaches, and some of the results of the discipline.
| Tier I | One subject: | |
| 21A.100 | Introduction to Anthropology |
|
| Tier II | Four subjects with a unifying theme |
|
| Tier III | One subject: | |
| 21A.110 | Seminar in Anthropological Theory | |
| or | ||
| 21A.112 | |
Seminar in Ethnography and Fieldwork |
Joint degree programs are offered in anthropology in combination with a field in engineering or science (21E, 21S). See the joint major programs listed under Humanities.
Subject 21A.100 is strongly recommended as a preliminary subject for all anthropology degree programs.
In collaboration, the Anthropology Program, the History faculty, and the Program in Science, Technology, and Society offer a Program in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology and Society (HASTS) leading to the PhD; see the description under the Program in Science, Technology, and Society.
Subjects in anthropology are numbered 21A.100 through 21A.999 in Part 3. Further information on subjects and programs may be obtained from the Anthropology Program Office, Room 16-267, 617-452-2837.
Susan S. Silbey, PhD
Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
Section Head
(On leave, spring)
Michael M. J. Fischer, PhD
Professor of Anthropology and Science and Technology Studies
James Howe, PhD
Professor of Anthropology
Acting Section Head, spring
Jean Elizabeth Jackson, PhD
Professor of Anthropology
MacVicar Faculty Fellow
Stefan Helmreich, PhD
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Christine J. Walley, PhD
Associate Professor of Anthropology
(On leave)
Erica C. James, PhD
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
(On leave, fall)
Heather A. Paxson, PhD
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Douglas J. Goodman, PhD
William Bushell, PhD
Constance Perin, PhD
Arthur Steinberg, PhD
Professor of Anthropology, Emeritus