Anthropology (cultural)
Cultural anthropology asks what it means to be human. Holistic and broad in scope in their approach, cultural anthropologists have an interest in all humans in all times and places. In a Western setting, such as Central College, there is an emphasis on learning about indigenous peoples and peoples from non-Western societies, with the goal of preparing ourselves to better understand an increasingly diverse and culturally dynamic world.
The cultural anthropology major is structured to provide students with a strong grounding in cultural anthropology within an interdisciplinary framework. The required courses offer a combination of academic anthropological knowledge and real world experiences, which gives students the foundation they will need to put their anthropological training to use after college. The major is also structured in a way that allows students to easily combine with another program of study (e.g. foreign language major or minor, political science major or minor, not-for-profit management , interdisciplinary program, etc.), providing even more opportunities for students to turn their individual interests into credible life endeavors.
Faculty
- Jeffrey Bass, Ph.D., assistant professor of anthropology; areas of interest include: Latin America, ethnographic field methods, political and medical anthropology; bassj@central.edu
- Marie Hopwood, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor of anthropology; areas of interest include: archaeology of the ancient near east, cultures of the Middle East, anthropology of food, museum studies; hopwoodm@central.edu
- David Hopwood, M.A., adjunct professor of anthropology, areas of interest include: human evolution, early hominin behavior, skeletal biology and forensic anthropology; hopwoodd@central.edu
Successful Careers
- Graduate student in anthropology at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
- Graduate student and consultant, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas
- Mortgage loan specialist, Wells Fargo, Minneapolis, Minn.
- Volunteer, AmeriCorp VISTA, Council Bluffs, Iowa
- Houseparent, Boys and Girls Country, Hockley, Texas
- Graduate student, cultural geography, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colo.
Courses
Central offers many anthropology courses and electives from other disciplines including:
- Introduction to cultural anthropology
- Ethnographic field methods
- Cultures of the Middle East
- Culture through film
- Medical anthropology
- Culture theory
- Cultures of Latin America
- Yucatan anthropology field school
- Anthropology of religion
- Archaeology
- First peoples
- Introduction to statistics
- Fundamentals of statistics
- Intercultural communication
- Literature of India and the Pacific
- African and Caribbean literature
- Principles of linguistics
- Sociolinguistics
- Latin American civilization
- Modern East Asian civilization
- Modern African civilization
- Mideastern civilization
- History of modern China
- History of modern Japan
- World music
- Philosophies in the Far East
- Politics in foreign countries
- Introduction to international politics
- Contemporary Europe
- Social psychology
- Asian religions
- Christianity and eastern religions
- Islam
- Ethnicity and nationalism
- Minority groups
- Ethnic encounter
- The immigrant experience
- African-American literature
- History of Chinese minorities
- African politics since 1935
- Modern Latin America
- The Jewish experience
- Hispanics/Latinos in the United States
- Field methods in linguistics
- Teaching English as a second language
- Biblical archeology
- Public history seminar
- Culture and psychology: Latinos and Latinas in Iowa
- Archeology
- Civilization of Hispanic America
Sample Schedule
The course sequence for anthropology is extremely flexible and allows for students to pursue internships and study abroad opportunities. A typical first-year schedule includes:
- Introduction to cultural anthropology
- Core courses and/or electives
Get more details from the course catalog! (Note: this is a PDF file)
Facilities
Central College is one of the most beautiful college campuses you'll find. A perfect mix of old and new, our buildings reflect our history and our future, featuring energy conservation and environmental responsibility. Our state-of-the-art facilities include:
- Vermeer Science Center — $20-million renovation and addition completed fall 2003 earned Iowa’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating, a silver medal, from the U.S. Green Building Council.
- Apartment-style residence hall opened fall 2003, with new wing completed in 2005, earned Central’s second LEED rating, a gold medal.
- New education and psychology building opens fall 2009 with application for platinum LEED award.
- Weller Center for Business and International Studies with state-of-the art technologies and energy efficient design including solar panels on the roof.
- Central Market, Iowa’s most original dining hall with unique European market place design.
- Geisler Library with 230,000 volumes and worldwide electronic access.
- Café@Geisler offers espresso, coffee, snacks.
- Wireless Internet through out campus.
Organizations
No matter what your interests are, Central has a student group or organization that you’ll want to join! Anthropology students might be interested in Central's Sociology and Anthropology Club.
Study Abroad
Students are encouraged to study abroad with one of Central’s eight international programs to enhance their development as global citizens, or with Central’s Chicago program and the Washington, D.C., program. Learn more about Central’s study abroad programs.
