Distinctly human

DID MEAT eating help shape society? Can DNA help in studying the old West? What are endangered languages? If questions like these intrigue and fascinate you, then Anthropology might be the right option to pursue. Off beat, yet totally 'down to earth', Anthropology deals with the origins of culture and social behaviour of humankind in the past,present and future. It aims to study the distinct aspects of aparticular group, or race of people with special emphasis on geneticinheritance, primatology, variation, and human adaptability. A closeanalysis of these characteristics helps in tracing the history ofculture, language and social mannerisms. The information gleaned isused to understand human behaviour. In this respect, anthropology isclosely related to sociology, and biology.

Qualifications

To pursue a B.Sc degree in Anthropology, you need to have passed yourIntermediate (10+2) level with Sciences, after which you can take upM.Sc in Anthropology. Those having a post-graduate or higher degreecan seek employment in universities and colleges that offer courses inAnthropology. University of Delhi, Berhampur University- Orissa, Manipur University,Nagaland University- Kohima, Punjab University- Chandigarh, SriVenkateshwara University -Tirupati offer courses in Anthropology.

Specialisation

Specialisations in the field include:Socio-cultural Anthropology which deals with culture and culturalchange, community building, social patterns, polity, class divisions,ethnicity, language, economic aspects, gender, sex, marriage,government and religion.Linguistic Anthropology deals with origins of communication, dialects,gestures, languages and their histories, and the influence of cultureon people. Physical or Biological Anthropology studies evolution, genetics andadapting to the environment.Archaeological Anthropology deals with reconstructing history byexamining fossils, relics and artefacts that are excavated. Theinformation is also used to determine the sequence of historic events.Applied Anthropology is used in government welfare activities that areaimed at alleviating poverty, malnutrition, juvenile delinquency,birth control, rehabilitation, health and labour conditions etc.Anthropology when combined with other studies like biology,communications, gender studies, history, linguistics, literature,sociology or politics makes for an interesting option.Cross-functional experience is also being recognised now.

Employment

Anthropologists are employed by the Anthropological Survey of India,public-health organisations, medical research organisations andinstitutes, planning commissions, police departments that conductforensic investigations, health and family planning departments, NGOs,International organisations like UNICEF and WHO, and as human resourceprofessionals. Museums, archaeology projects that involve excavation and research also require the services of anthropologists. Anthropologists can alsouse their skills in other fields and businesses including jobs thatfacilitate communication across ethnic and social barriers. Anthropologists often work on creating proposals and getting funds tosupport their research. They also publish papers related to thesubject at regular intervals.

Soft-skills

A few skills that aspiring anthropologists need to have are oral andwritten communication skills, observational skills, interpersonal andinterviewing skills and an ability to work with statistical data.Most anthropologists make their debut as research assistants toprofessors. This helps them get a practical feel of the subject and ahands-on experience that gives them the confidence they require. Theyconduct surveys, qualitative interviews and write descriptive reports.Although it is not always easy to land a job as an anthropologist, youneed to seek out avenues to apply your skills. Networking with otheranthropologists and taking an active part in anthropologicalassociations is a must.

ARCHANA JAYAKAR

archana.hyd@cxknetworks.com