Why Major in Sociology/Anthropology?
Rather than prepare you for a specific job or career, majoring in Sociology/Anthropology will help you develop a diverse set of skills and capacities that can be applied to countless fields. Sociology and Anthropology will equip you with the resources needed to become actively engaged in identifying and addressing the needs of the complex, rapidly changing times in which we live.
According to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook:
"Sociologists will experience much faster than average job growth because the incorporation of sociology into research in other fields continues to increase. Sociologists possess broad training and education in analytical, methodological, conceptual, and quantitative and qualitative analysis and research, so their skills can be applied to many different occupations."
These points apply equally well to Anthropology.
You can try out various fields and careers that interest you by completing internships and designing
Odyssey Projects as well as choose classes that will help you prepare accordingly. Note however, that the benefits of a degree in Anthropology/Sociology will extend well beyond landing that first job out of college and will still be apparent years down the line when you may find yourself engaged in a field of work that doesn't even exist today.
From Hendrix Soc/Anth Alumni
Rachel Siegel, a 2010 graduate, says that her degree in Sociology/Anthropology has been helpful in her job as a Presidential Fellow for the Crain-Mailing Center at Hendrix:
"My job requires a lot of teamwork and social interaction that allows me to implement the skills I acquired while working toward my degree."
Michaela Fraser, Class of 2011:
I am about to finish up the first year of a two-year Presidential Fellowship here at Hendrix where I serve as the Volunteer Coordinator in the Miller Center for Vocation, Ethics and Calling. My background in Sociology and Anthropology definitely helps me in my interactions with students and to assist them in planning ethically-sound and mutually beneficial service projects. This post-graduate opportunity has also allowed me to continue working with some of my mentors here at Hendrix to figure out my next step. I have been especially excited to find that my background in Sociology will serve as a great foundation for my future pursuits in the field of Occupational Therapy and Public Health.
External Links
Sociology Resources:
Anthropology Resources:
Additional Information