What is the main point of sociology and anthropology?

Study Sociology & Anthropology at UON

The sociology and anthropology major gives you the intellectual ability to put any facet of modern society under the microscope by providing critical thinking and research skills. The benefit of studying sociology and anthropology courses is that students learn fascinating insights into how society works, by examining the way we live now, and the wide variety of different societies and cultures that have existed over millennia. By 'making the normal look strange', sociologists and anthropologists interrogate the way traditions and inequalities reproduce within societies undergoing the processes of rapid change.

The study of sociology illuminates human behaviour by looking for the links between individual experience and the social context in which we live, work and play. Courses within this major involve questioning common sense views and personal opinion by asking you to consider the social influences that shape our lives. A sociological imagination questions the way things are, in order to think about the way things could be.

Anthropology is the study of humans and cultural differences, in both the past and present. To understand the full extent and complexities of cultures, and cultural understandings across all of human history, anthropology draws and builds upon knowledge from the social and biological sciences, the humanities and physical sciences. A central concern of the anthropology major is the application of knowledge to the solution of human problems.

What jobs can you get with a major in Sociology & Anthropology?

A major in sociology and anthropology will provide you with key skills that are very attractive to employers in a labour market increasingly driven by communication technology, information and networks. These include research skills which build capacity in areas such as survey design and statistical interpretation; interview and focus groups; ethnography and observation; media analysis; and writing research reports.

By studying sociology and anthropology courses, you could explore a career in:

  • community development
  • human resources
  • policy analysis
  • advisory roles
  • program management and project coordination
  • education
  • research
  • marketing and PR
  • media, journalism and IT
  • statistics
  • health and welfare services

Suitable for Global Indigenous Studies students with?

  • An interest in grappling social and cultural issues, such as socialisation, identity, race and gender.
  • Goals to learn how to conduct a social analysis and apply their research to real world situations.
  • A commitment to ethically leveraging multiple social research methodologies.

What do you learn in a Sociology & Anthropology major?

Sociology and anthropology is a diverse and stimulating major, which offers a variety of areas in which you could increase your perspective and understanding including:

  • gender, sexuality and family
  • class and social status
  • race and ethnicity
  • religion
  • education
  • the body and identity
  • power, normality and deviance
  • consumerism, work and the economy
  • social institutions and social change
  • social policy and social justice
  • globalisation
  • health and food
  • popular culture and media
  • the environment
  • youth transitions

In choosing the sociology and anthropology major, you will enjoy a comprehensive range of study options at both our Newcastle and Central Coast campuses.

Which degrees include a Sociology & Anthropology major?

The Sociology and Anthropology major gives you the intellectual ability to put any facet of modern society under the microscope by providing critical thinking and research skills. The benefit of studying Sociology and Anthropology courses is that students learn fascinating insights into how society works, by examining the way we live now, and the wide variety of different societies and cultures that have existed over millennia.

By 'making the normal look strange', Sociologists and Anthropologists interrogate the way traditions and inequalities reproduce within societies undergoing the processes of rapid change.

What is Sociology?

The study of Sociology illuminates human behaviour by looking for the links between individual experience and the social context in which we live, work and play. Courses within this major involve questioning common sense views and personal opinion by asking you to consider the social influences that shape our lives. A Sociological imagination questions the way things are, in order to think about the way things could be.

What is Anthropology?

Anthropology is the study of humans and cultural differences, in both the past and present. To understand the full extent and complexities of cultures, and cultural understandings across all of human history, Anthropology draws and builds upon knowledge from the social and biological sciences, the humanities and physical sciences. A central concern of the Anthropology major is the application of knowledge to the solution of human problems.

What jobs can you get with a major in Sociology and Anthropology?

A major in Sociology and Anthropology will provide you with key skills that are very attractive to employers in a labour market increasingly driven by communication technology, information and networks. These include research skills which build capacity in areas such as survey design and statistical interpretation; interview and focus groups; ethnography and observation; media analysis; and writing research reports.

By studying Sociology and Anthropology courses, you could explore a career in:

What is the main point of sociology and anthropology?

  • community development
  • human resources
  • policy analysis
  • advisory roles
  • program management and project coordination
  • education
  • research
  • marketing and PR
  • media, journalism and IT
  • statistics
  • health and welfare services
  • An interest in grappling social and cultural issues, such as socialisation, identity, race and gender.
  • Goals to learn how to conduct a social analysis and apply their research to real world situations.
  • A commitment to ethically leveraging multiple social research methodologies.

Sociology and Anthropology is a diverse and stimulating major, which offers a variety of areas in which you could increase your perspective and understanding including:

  • gender, sexuality and family
  • class and social status
  • race and ethnicity
  • religion
  • education
  • the body and identity
  • power, normality and deviance
  • consumerism, work and the economy
  • social institutions and social change
  • social policy and social justice
  • globalisation
  • health and food
  • popular culture and media
  • the environment
  • youth transitions

In choosing the Sociology and Anthropology major, you will enjoy a comprehensive range of study options at our Newcastle campus.

Which degrees include a Sociology and Anthropology major?

The Bachelor of Arts and associated degree programs in the humanities allow you to study the Sociology and Anthropology major:

  • For more information about the Bachelor of Global Indigenous Studies program structure, please refer to the handbook.
  • For more information about the Bachelor of Arts program structure, please refer to the handbook.
  • For more information about the Bachelor of Social Science program structure, please refer to the handbook.
  • To learn more about our expertise in Sociology and Anthropology, contact us.

While anthropology and sociology do display similarities, they are not exactly alike. On the one hand, anthropology studies humans and their ancestors through their physical characteristics, environment and culture. The specialization of anthropology is sociocultural, linguistic, biological and archaeological.

On the other hand, sociology studies the development, structure, social interactions and behaviors of human society at a specific time. Specializations in sociology include social institutions, which means a society's economic life, education, family dynamics, politics, and religion. It also explores social stratification and how society categorizes humans by their age, gender, race and ethnicity, and social class. In comparison, anthropology covers all human characteristics, including physiology and evolutionary origins, sociology centers around social relationships.

Careers

After learning more about anthropology and sociology, you may ask, "Where can I work with a degree in these areas of study?" In short, anthropologists and sociologists today have access to an array of careers. For instance, anthropologists may work in private businesses, government agencies, non-profit organizations and much more. According to ThoughtCo​,​ "Their work may involve building research partnerships, assessing economic needs, evaluating policies, developing new educational programs, recording little-known community histories, providing health services and other socially relevant activities."

Similarly, a sociology major can pursue a wide variety of career pathways. These career pathways include, but are not limited to, jobs in industries such as business, education, politics and health. Day-to-day sociology professionals use critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills. With a sociology degree, you may find yourself interested in jobs such as an educator, social service provider, public health worker, journalist or counselor, to name a few.

Are you considering continuing your education after your bachelor's degree? Graduate school is also a standard route for an anthropology or sociology major. Graduates with their master's or doctorate in anthropology or sociology, for instance, can become college professors, market research analysts and mental health counselors.

The Focus Areas

Anthropology separates into four primary subfields, each using different research techniques and teaching specific skills. These subfields include archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology and linguistic anthropology. According to ​Dr. Matthew Krystal,​ professor of anthropology at ​North Central College​, "These subfields, though distinct, are connected by a comparative perspective and a holistic approach." Read on to learn more about the subfields' specific interests and goals.

Archaeology

Archaeologists worldwide study societies and cultures by recovering and analyzing the remains or objects people have left behind. They carefully remove from the ground pottery, tools, human bones, and teeth to learn more about people's daily lives from that time. Also, archaeologists look for plants and animals' remains to learn more about the previously lived environment.

Biological Anthropology

In this focus area, biological anthropologists are interested in learning more about how humans adapted through time to become what they are today. From evolving from animals to adapting to different environments, they see how biology plays a role in shaping the lives from that time and how those lives compare to others around the world.

Cultural Anthropology

A sociocultural anthropologist explores how different societies live and understand the world around them. They aim to learn more about what these societies accept or view as the norm for speaking, eating, dressing, traveling and more. To achieve this, anthropologists gather viewpoints and sometimes even live amongst different societies and cultures to better understand them.

Linguistic Anthropology

Lastly, linguistic anthropology studies the way societies communicate with themselves and with others. Linguistic anthropologists look to uncover how a society's language impacts how members view and connect to the world around them over time. They dive deep to reveal not only the function of language and speech but the social structure as well.

As stated previously, sociology comprises focus areas, including social change, social institutions such as economic life, education, family, politics and religion and social stratification by age, gender, race and ethnicity and social class. It is through these areas sociologists can better understand the humans and societies that lived before us.

Follow the provided link to learn more about sociology vs. psychology, and discover which field of study is more interesting to you!

Kara Kots​ is a social media specialist at North Central College, where she contributes her content, writing and communication skills.