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Introduction from the Department Chair Overview | Anthropology Major & Minor Requirements | Submatriculation | Undergraduate Handbook | Course Information | Undergraduate Chair Contact Information | Related Links The Anthropology Department at Penn is embarking upon an exciting new experiment I'd like to tell you about. We are developing an innovative undergraduate program around the theme of "Anthropology and the Modern World." Too many people think of anthropology as only about digging up the remains of an ancient past or traveling to far-away places to study exotic peoples and customs. Yes, we do all that, but we do much, much more. Did you know, to take just one example, the the Intel Corporation has hired a team of anthropologists to conduct research in the area of "design ethnography," figuring out how people use electronic equipment in their daily lives in order to more intelligently design new technologies?" Corporations today are discovering the relevance of anthropology to doing business, and this is one area in which you can be in the vanguard. Did you know that anthropologists work as forensic experts, identifying people from physical remains or even convenience store video images ? Did you know that we study human conditions under conditions of conflict and other extreme situations around the globe as well as working with plastic surgeons to investigate how culture constructs ideals of body and self? Once you know what culture history teaches us about the cultural background to contemporary countries like Afghanistan- and events unfold around us even as I write- you will appreciate how shallow is the mass media coverage, how much richer and multidimensional your understanding of present-day realities can be. Our goal is to develop a series of dynamic new classes for undergraduates that will inform you about the relevance of anthropological research and methods to business, to medicine, to current events- in short, to the contemporary world. This we recently launch several new courses- "Witchcraft in the Modern World," "The Medical Anthropology of Alcohol Use," "The Information Age," "Chinese Cultures," and "Molecular Anthropology." More new courses include "Conflict and Culture," "Women and Gender in the Middle East," "American Civilization," and "Communication and Culture" - just to name a few. We will continue our traditional rigorous training for majors. However, we believe that every informed citizen should-indeed must- know something about the cultural dimensions of the present world in order to make sense of what is going on today. Whether you plan to go into business, government, medicine, law, or just about any other profession, a background in anthropology will serve you well. So I want to invite you, majors and non-majors alike, to join us in this new adventure, as we endeavor to bring anthropological knowledge into contact with a fast-paced, high-powered modern world. Sincerely yours, |
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