ANTHRONOTESTM

MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY PUBLICATION FOR EDUCATORS

VOLUME 33NO. 2FALL 2012

TEACHER’S CORNER: CAREERS IN ANTHROPOLOGY

by P. Ann Kaupp

What do anthropologists do?

Anthropologists study past and present cultures, language, human evolution, and biological variation. They are engaged in issues relating to contemporary society, such as health care, human rights, law, industry, language revitalization, urban development, environmental management, and global population. Of all the sciences — such as biology, psychology, and sociology — only anthropology attempts to study the entire human condition over all time and space. Anthropologists work in many settings: teaching at all levels, but primarily college and university students; engaging in applied work in government, business, and social services; and conducting archaeological fieldwork, such as for governmental agencies and companies engaged in contract archaeology.

Where can I study Anthropology?

The American Anthropological Association (AAA) publishes The Guide that describes faculty and their specialties and research programs in college and university anthropology departments in the U.S. and Canada. It is available for purchase from the AAA: http://www.aaanet.org/publications/guide.cfm

How can I learn about careers in Anthropology?

Career Videos

The video “Anthropology: Real People, Real Careers,” by Francis E. Smiley (Northern Arizona University) addresses the question of “What exactly does an applied anthropologist do?” http://www.aaanet.org/resources/students/CareersDVD.cfm

The DVD “Beyond Ethnography: Corporate and Design Anthropology” by Emily L Altimare offers information on the use of anthropology in corporate settings. http://www.aaanet.org/resources/students/CareersDVD.cfm

The video “Doing Anthropology,” by MIT Video Productions, strives to promote a greater public understanding about cultural anthropology and the process of fieldwork. The video is housed on MIT Tech TV (http://techtv.mit.edu/videos/315-doing-anthropology).

Staff Video Interviews on Careers in the Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution are available at http://anthropology.si.edu/video_interviews.html

Career Publications

Careers in Anthropology (2nd ed.), by John T. Omohundro (Mayfield Publishing Company, 2002), is a practical and informative workbook that explains what anthropology is, what anthropologists do, the available career opportunities (beginning at the B.A. level), how to begin job hunting, and how to get hired. The book contains exercises to help you determine if a career in anthropology is for you.

The Anthropology Graduate’s Guide from Student to a Career by Carol J. Ellick and Joe E. Watkins (Left Coast Press, 2011) describes a wide range of professions in which an anthropology degree can be used and offers a step-by-step approach to reaching your career goal.

Museum Careers

The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies http://museumstudies.si.edu/

The Smithsonian Institution http://www.sihr.si.edu/tour.html

Smithsonian Internships and Volunteer Opportunities http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/volunteer/

The American Association of Museums http://www.aamus.org/aboutmuseums/abc.cfm#careers

Publication: Museum Careers: A Practical Guide for Students and Novices by N. Elizabeth Schlatter. 2008. Left Coast Press.

Professional Anthropology Organizations

American Anthropological Association

http://www.aaanet.org

The AAA is the central professional organization and is organized into small sections of topical interest. The AAA holds annual meetings and produces the quarterly American Anthropologist, the monthly Anthropology News, career publications and The AAA Guide. The website contains a new interactive feature on race and human variation (http://www.understandingRACE.org).

Society for American Archaeology

http://www.saa.org

SAA is an international organization dedicated to the research, interpretation, and protection of the archaeological heritage of the Americas. It produces several publications, and its website offers a wealth of educational resources, including an Archaeology Teacher’s Guide.

Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges

http://www.aaanet.org/sections/sacc/

SACC, a section of the American Anthropological Association, sponsors its own annual conference and a symposium at the AAA annual meetings. SACC produces the biannual publication Teaching Anthropology: SACC Notes and maintains a listserve and blog. Teaching activities and resources can be found on the SACC website as well as member profiles.

Society for Historical Archaeology

http://www.sha.org/

SHA is concerned with the archaeology of the modern world (A.D. 1400 - present), with an emphasis on the New World. The Society is specifically concerned with the identification, excavation, interpretation, and conservation of sites and materials on land and underwater. The website contains career information and listings of field schools. Members receive the quarterly journal Historical Archaeology and the SHA Newsletter.

The Society for Applied Anthropology

http://www.sfaa.net/

The SFAA is a professional association that promotes “the integration of the anthropological perspectives and methods in solving human problems throughout the world.” The Society publishes two journals – Practicing Anthropology, a career-oriented publication, and Human Organization – and a quarterly newsletter.

Archaeological Institute of America

http://www.archaeological.org

The AIA publishes the bimonthly Archeology magazine and the American Journal of Archeology. There are over 104 local societies across the U.S. and Canada that sponsor lectures, symposia, field trips to local sites and museums, and foreign study tours. The AFOB (Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin) http://www.archaeological.org/fieldwork/afob lists U.S. and foreign excavations seeking volunteer workers, paid staff members, and students for formal training programs.

Summer Fieldwork Opportunities

Teachers, students, and the general public can become personally involved in the field of anthropology through field schools and research organizations. Anthropology departments at local universities and colleges, state historic preservation offices, and state archaeological societies often organize local archaeological excavations and frequently accept volunteers with no previous fieldwork experience.

The Archaeological Institute of America offers a listing of its state societies at http://www.archaeological.org/webinfo.php?page=10016 and fieldwork opportunities around the world in its online AFOB (Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin) http://www.archaeological.org/fieldwork/afob

Earthwatch Institute

http://www.earthwatch.org

Earthwatch offers international opportunities to assist scientists in the field. Grants and special volunteer service are available.

Passport in Time (PIT)

http://www.passportintime.com/

PIT is a volunteer program of the U.S.D.A. Forest Service. Volunteers work with professional archaeologists and historians on national forests throughout the country.

Old Pueblo Archaeology Center

http://www.oldpueblo.org

Old Pueblo offers workshops, lectures, and archaeological opportunities to promote appreciation and preservation of Southwest cultures. The website soon will offer a virtual dig of a Hohokam site (A.D. 750-1450) that the Center has been excavating for several years.

Crow Canyon Archaeological Center

http://www.crowcanyon.org

The Center offers programs for all ages to learn about archaeological field methods, laboratory techniques, and excavation. It also offers domestic and international travel opportunities.

Center for American Archeology, Kampsville Archeological Center

http://www.caa-archeology.org

The Center provides programs in archeological investigation, educational outreach and cultural stewardship, and summer field schools, as well as hands-on activities in basketry and flintknapping.

The U.S. Experiment in International Living - Summer Abroad

http://www.worldlearning.org

This organization offers high school, undergraduate, and graduate students three to five weeks of immersion in a another culture in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas, Oceania, or Asia, through homestay, language-study, and ecologically-focused programs.

P. Ann Kaupp is Managing Editor of AnthroNotes and head, Smithsonian Anthropology Outreach Office.