jarklor05
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Posts posted by jarklor05
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I'd like to go to Michigan but the cost is inconvenient and they don't accept ap courses as general credits. I'm not sure if I'll even make it in.
I was thinking about the university of Madison. Or would penn state (not university of pennsylvania) be a better option? Does this really matter that much?
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Social evolution is the idea that it's analytically useful to classify societies into "types" that are taken to be the social equivalent of specific organisms, and to then postulate ways that one type (say, a "band" of hunter-gatherers) might evolve into another (say, a "tribe" or "chiefdom"). There's been plenty of good scholarship done within this framework (looking at the development of inequality, for instance), but it also has serious problems.
If you're interested, Elman Service, pre-1970s Marshall Sahlins, Leslie White, and Julian Steward were all evolutionists working within cultural anthropology (most of that scholarship was in the 1940s through the 1960s). Joyce Marcus, Kent Flannery, and Henry Wright are archaeologists of the same persuasion.
For one easy-to-digest critique of the idea from an archaeological perspective, see Timothy Pauketat's Chiefdoms and Other Archaeological Delusions.
None of this should be to dissuade you from a place like Michigan or Penn State, for archaeology or anthropology more generally. It's just something to bear in mind.
Ok, so the problem is that this idea may not be correct? What do other colleges (like berkeley) think about this? What do they teach instead? In other words, how does learning about archeology on the other spectrum different?
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If you're interested in archaeology, one thing to bear in mind is that both Michigan and Penn State have a very strong social evolutionist bent. That's not inherently a bad thing, but it does mean that you're likely to get a very different perspective on archaeological theory than you might get some other places.
At the undergraduate level, the most important thing to focus on is finding a place where you'll have the freedom and resources to develop your own interests and pursue them, as well as a general academic and social environment where you feel you'll be able to thrive. Finding the ideal anthropology program is what graduate school is for. So especially if you're not sure what part of the world you want to focus on or what branch of anthropology most interests you, I would focus on finding a school with a good overall fit and an anthropology department that seems diverse enough to help you shape your own interests wherever they may lead.
It's also worth bearing in mind that there are some wonderful undergraduate programs that combine anthro with other social sciences, like Middlebury's Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
What do you mean by social evolutionist?
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Thank you guys for all the help. I really appreciate it. I am personally interested in all aspects of anthropology but mostly archeology and cultural. Also, I'm really interested in mesoamerica, asia, premodern/ancient and classical civilizations. I think having smaller class sizes would be better. I mostly wanting to take the path that's great for getting a job in higher education.
Does this help? Could you recommend some universities?
I know that grad school is going to be more important. But I still want to make sure my undergrad school is a good choice.
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My top two favorites right now are the university of michigan and penn state. I was also thinking about uchicago but I don'the think it's right for me.
what do you think about this?
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1- animator, need more skill
2- anthropologist, need a PHD
3- registered nurse, just got to get a BA
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Becoming an anthropology professor would be truly amazing. However, some people have told me to go for a real job. In other words, it isn't a safe option.
However, money isn't important to me as it is for other people. Going for a PhD is really expensive and getting a job I heard is difficult. However, I am willing to work hard, move far away for a job if I have to (or even out of the country), and other things too.
Do you think that becoming a professor in anthropology would be worth it if I truly have the passion?
Thank you.
does your undergraduate school for anthropology matter?
in Anthropology Forum
Posted · Edited by jarklor05
Thank you so much for these amazing responses. Nevertheless, I'm still worried about getting accepted into a phd program already.
So, I'm assuming anthropology phd programs look at the holistic picture. It's not just about gpa and test scores.
I still have some questions. Should I focus my research on one specific subfield of anthropology? Also I know that I haven't started college yet but is there anything you would recommend me doing to prepare myself for college level anthropology? My highschool had an anthropology course so I took that and I've been reading some books.