Department of Sociology & Anthropology Anthropology
Keep up to date with anthropology at Langara College through our Facebook and Instagram accounts. You can also check out what our anthropology students in museum studies have been up to!
Anthropologists ask the fundamental question… what is a human being? As a social science, anthropology links perspectives with sociology, psychology, cultural geography, economics, and other disciplines. As a biological science, we study human behaviour as a part of nature. For example, we compare human anatomy and behaviour with other animals – especially our closest relatives, apes and monkeys. Anthropology is often called a holistic discipline because we relate to many different perspectives of human behaviour, so nothing is off-limits to investigation. This broad scope is reflected by course offerings at Langara College and by the diverse backgrounds of our faculty.
Anthropology instructors at Langara College bring together wide-ranging interests, considerable experience in various aspects of the discipline, and conduct ongoing research programs in cultural (social), physical (bioanthropology), and archaeology. Our teaching foci provides students with a strong understanding of the basic anthropological principles, theories, and methods required for exploration of global and regional cultural diversity, change, and explores human origins.
Outcomes & Objectives
Anthropology is foremost about seeing the world from different perspectives. It emphasizes understanding ourselves in context of culture(s) and time, as well as in the universal context of humanity and nature. The anthropological perspective, by considering diverse preconceptions as well as received knowledge, allows greater freedom of understanding value and belief systems from individual and global perspectives. Such ‘freedom through knowledge’ is the cornerstone of a liberal arts education.
The content of your knowledge through study at Langara might vary because of the diversity of our course offerings, but all courses task students to question presuppositions about "the truth", to open our minds to other points of view, and to show greater tolerance to those who might think differently from us. This questioning tasks the student to reflect on what is learned in, and out, of the classroom. Students leave with the ability to think critically and analytically. Whether one chooses to continue in anthropology or not, this ability is essential for it empowers one to become a subject and not an object. Hence, critical thinking skills and practice in expressing these skills in the written, spoken and visual channels are outcomes of all anthropology courses. The variety of ideas students encounter in courses makes it easier to chart future directions in studies and life choices. Learning is exciting, and a majority of Langara students are excited by what they learn in anthropology.
Career Opportunities
A career as an anthropologist can take one to the farthest reaches of the earth, into regions of the brain and, always, to encounters with a wide variety of people and customs. Students enrolled in anthropology courses develop cross-cultural understanding skills and understandings of global cultural diversity well-suited to many employment opportunities. The broad knowledge base of anthropology also prepares students for many jobs in which critical, creative, and flexible thinking is required.
Some examples of potential employers include:
- Archives and Libraries
- Colleges and Universities
- Corporations and businesses (did you know companies like Google hire anthropologists?)
- Cultural Resource Management Firms
- Environmental Agencies
- Federal and Provincial Government
- Healthcare Agencies
- Heritage Organizations
- Historical Sites
- Indigenous Communities
- Museums
- Non-government agencies (NGOs)
- Police and Coroner's Office
