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From Engineering To SocioCultural Anthropology


coldbrew

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Hey all!

 

I'll try to keep this precise-

 

Last year of undergrad studies in Electronics and Communication Engineering.

Expect the CGPA to end up around 7.7-8/10.

Have worked as a trainee with a telecom security firm and have been volunteering with a Woman Empowerment Organization since last December.

 

Now, as I have neither Humanities or Social Sciences background and I am interested in studying SocioCultural Anthropology-

1. How can I fill the gap and enhance my CV? Any internships, programmes I can enroll myself into? Diplomas? 

2. Some universities have courses designed for students from various fields. If I go for them,

- again, I would want to have a better CV than what I currently have. 

- will references from my faculties (technical subjects) suffice? 

- how do I calculate the probability of getting accepted into a university and take my chances? With all my admission requirements ready(GRE score or not, references, SOPs, essays, etc.), do I simply apply at all those universities which have courses which suit me best?

- I intend to delve into research. Can I go for a research degree, given I have no formal anthropological training?

3. Also, what are some of the best universities for Social/Cultural Anthropology in US/UK? Or any other country in Europe. Student diversity and student culture matters.

 

Thanks!

Edited by coldbrew
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Moving from engineering to sociocultural anthropology is possible. Some anthropological training would be better than none. In my opinion you should start figuring out what you want to study and do research on. Because you have a background in Electronics and Communication Engineering I think it might be worth looking into folks who are doing research on infrastructure and telecommunications.  The anthropology of infrastructure seems like a sexy topic right now and you could use this to your advantage with your background. I would do a lot of reading on your possible future research topics that way when you write your SOP you clearly know what you want to do research on and which schools are a good fit because you have a clear idea of what you want to do.  Read, read, read, read, read, read and familiarize yourself with the discipline. Knowing what you want to do as an Anthropologist is the first step in answering many of your questions. Remember, that depending on how you sell yourself your background could be an asset rather than a obstacle to overcome.

 

These might helpful readings:
http://www.culanth.org/curated_collections/11-infrastructure

http://blog.castac.org/2014/03/dominic-boyer-on-the-anthropology-of-infrastructure/

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