What does it mean to be a New Zealander and a citizen of the world? What is the importance of ethnic- ity in the 21st century? How are social networking websites changing human relationships? What makes people decide to live on the streets? These are the kinds of questions that studies in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology ask and seek to answer. The anthropological and sociological mind is forever curious about why people behave in the ways they do; as peoples from different cultures move around the world living, working and trading together, so the need to understand each other increases. Because of their in-depth and broad understandings of human social behaviour anthropologists and sociologists are in a position to advise on many issues that confront countries and companies the world over. Although they are linked, Cultural Anthropology and Sociology are distinct disciplines. WHAT IS CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY? Anthropology literally means ‘the study of human beings’, while cultures are patterns of human behaviour and knowledge that every human learns as a member of a society. Cultural Anthropology focuses on how these cultural patterns shape our experiences. Cultural anthropologists seek to answer questions such as: “Why are human groups and their ways of life so differ- ent around the world? Why, for example, do many New Zealanders believe it is disgusting and cruel to eat dog, while Muslims don’t eat pork and Hindus think cows are sacred? Why do so many young people in New Zealand decide to get tattoos while many youths in Papua New Guinea willingly undergo painful scarification rituals? Why do such cultural differences develop and how might we understand them better?” Students of Cultural Anthropology explore how culture is expressed in areas such as ritual, symbolism, language, personality, religion, inequality, gender, family, art and politics. They compare life in New Zealand to the ways people live in many different locations around the world. Understanding how other societies organise their lives and give meaning to their existence also increases people’s understanding of their own cultural worlds. Whether studying the hunting practices of Amazonian tribes or the politics of global agribusiness, the rituals of Pacific chiefs or the culture of corporate New Zealand, anthropology students examine what it means to be human today. Anthropological study provides training that is highly relevant in the 21st century. Economies are increasingly global and interdependent; workforces and markets are becoming more fluid and diverse. This increases demand for cultural understanding and communication skills in many areas of employment and at all levels of manage- ment and decision-making. Research processes employed by social scientists to exam- ine indigenous cultures are now being used to understand corporate cultures. Companies such as IBM use the find- ings from anthropology to help their corporate processes run more smoothly. Dr Elizabeth Tunstall teaches anthropology at the Univer- sity of Illinois in Chicago. She says, “Contemporary an- thropology is no longer primarily concerned with exotic peoples and dinosaurs. Anthropology is engaged with issues of the global flows of people and goods, human rights and social justice, global feminism, [design], tech- nology adoption, the social effects of the environmental degradation, and local sustainability practices.” WHAT DO ANTHROPOLOGISTS DO? Anthropologists do anything that involves understand- ing human social and cultural behaviour. They are trained observers who collect information about people by listening and watching what others are doing. They Issue No 53 Topical coverage of career related issues brought to you by Victoria University Career Development and Employment. Areas covered include how degrees and courses relate to employment opportunities, to life/work planning, graduate destination information and current issues or material relevant to the employment scene. Your comments and suggestions always welcomed. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY
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What does it mean to be a New Zealander and a citizen of the world? What is the importance of ethnic-
ity in the 21st century? How are social networking websites changing human relationships? What makes
people decide to live on the streets? These are the kinds of questions that studies in Cultural Anthropology
and Sociology ask and seek to answer. The anthropological and sociological mind is forever curious about
why people behave in the ways they do; as peoples from different cultures move around the world living,
working and trading together, so the need to understand each other increases. Because of their in-depth and
broad understandings of human social behaviour anthropologists and sociologists are in a position to advise
on many issues that confront countries and companies the world over.
Although they are linked, Cultural Anthropology and
Sociology are distinct disciplines.
WHAT IS CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY? Anthropology literally means ‘the study of human
beings’, while cultures are patterns of human behaviour
and knowledge that every human learns as a member of
a society. Cultural Anthropology focuses on how these
cultural patterns shape our experiences.
Cultural anthropologists seek to answer questions such as:
“Why are human groups and their ways of life so differ-
ent around the world? Why, for example, do many New
Zealanders believe it is disgusting and cruel to eat dog,
while Muslims don’t eat pork and Hindus think cows are
sacred? Why do so many young people in New Zealand
decide to get tattoos while many youths in Papua New
Why do such cultural differences develop and how might
we understand them better?”
Students of Cultural Anthropology explore how culture is
expressed in areas such as ritual, symbolism, language,
personality, religion, inequality, gender, family, art and
politics. They compare life in New Zealand to the ways
people live in many different locations around the world.
Understanding how other societies organise their lives
and give meaning to their existence also increases people’s
understanding of their own cultural worlds. Whether
studying the hunting practices of Amazonian tribes or the
politics of global agribusiness, the rituals of Pacifi c chiefs
or the culture of corporate New Zealand, anthropology
students examine what it means to be human today.
Anthropological study provides training that is highly
relevant in the 21st century. Economies are increasingly
global and interdependent; workforces and markets are
becoming more fl uid and diverse. This increases demand
for cultural understanding and communication skills in
many areas of employment and at all levels of manage-
ment and decision-making.
Research processes employed by social scientists to exam-
ine indigenous cultures are now being used to understand
corporate cultures. Companies such as IBM use the fi nd-
ings from anthropology to help their corporate processes
run more smoothly.
Dr Elizabeth Tunstall teaches anthropology at the Univer-
sity of Illinois in Chicago. She says, “Contemporary an-
thropology is no longer primarily concerned with exotic
peoples and dinosaurs. Anthropology is engaged with
issues of the global fl ows of people and goods, human
rights and social justice, global feminism, [design], tech-
nology adoption, the social effects of the environmental
degradation, and local sustainability practices.”
WHAT DO ANTHROPOLOGISTS DO?Anthropologists do anything that involves understand-
ing human social and cultural behaviour. They are
trained observers who collect information about people
by listening and watching what others are doing. They
Issue No 53
Topical coverage of career re lat ed issues brought to you by Victoria Uni ver si ty Ca reer De vel op ment and Em ploy ment.
Areas covered include how degrees and courses re late to em ploy ment op por tu ni ties, to life/work planning, grad u ate destination information and current issues or material relevant to the em ploy ment scene. Your comments and suggestions always welcomed.
The School of Social and Cultural Studies in particular Dr Allison Kirkman, Head of School, Prof Brigitte Bonisch-Brednich, Programme Director - Cultural Anthropology and Carol Hogan, School Manager; graduates Anna Gruner, Sam Stacey, Ben Steele and Kate Yesberg; and all those people who contributed to this publication.
Career View is published by Career Development and EmploymentVictoria University of Wellington, Te Whare Wänanga o te Üpoko o te Ika a MäuiPO Box 600, Wellington, Tel: 64-4-463-5390 or 64-4-463-5393, Fax 64-4-463 5252www.victoria.ac.nz/careers
April 2010ISSN 1172-4315
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY AT VICTORIACultural Anthropology and Sociology are part of the
School of Social and Cultural Studies in the Faculty of
Humanities and Social Sciences. Other subjects taught in
this School include Criminology and Social Policy. The
School has an overall focus on the analysis of human
behaviour within society. It is the patterning of such
behaviour and how we understand and organise our lives
as social beings that you will learn more about. Many
of the concepts and research methods used in our core
programmes are ‘portable’, in the sense that they can be
applied in more than one area, and this provides a focus
for integration within the School.
We are interested in critical social theory, as are other
disciplines, but what you can expect to learn from us are
current analyses of how societies and cultures are formed,
how they are governed, how they break down and how we
might envisage new and viable future social and cultural
systems.
The School actively develops and monitors a culture of
research and scholarship that maintains its established
disciplinary strengths. We give appropriate attention to
research and scholarship by Mäori and about Mäori within
the fi elds of our competence, and actively refl ect in our
varied curricula consideration of the social, political and
policy aspects inherent in scholarly examination of the
contemporary signifi cance of the Treaty of Waitangi.
To ensure that you meet your future academic and em-
ployment aspirations, it is important to plan your degree
programme carefully. This may mean completing courses
in other subjects and possibly a second major.
To complete a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology
you might like to consider structuring your course of study
so that your Cultural Anthropology courses are comple-
mented with other social science courses that further your
areas of interest. Sociology and Human Geography are
closely related disciplines to Cultural Anthropology and
anthropological perspectives are included in some Mäori
Studies, Religious Studies, Pacifi c Studies and Asian Stud-
ies courses. Courses in Social Policy and Criminology can
also be useful complements to a Cultural Anthropology
major.
Cultural Anthropology staff research interests include:
culture and migration; the cultural dimensions of in-
equality, power and resistance; the cultural organisation
of complex societies; Pacifi c cultures; culture and ethnic-
ity; and culture and architecture.
Sociology can effectively combine with other social
science subjects such as Cultural Anthropology, Social
Policy, Economics, Geography, Political Science and
Psychology. Very useful combinations can also be made
with Criminology, Education, History, Media Studies,
Philosophy and Religious Studies. Computer Science,
Information Technology and Mathematics are always
useful subjects for students with an interest in social data
analysis and research. Sociology can also provide an ef-
fective comparative focus for those who are interested in
languages and literature. Sociology also has an affi nity
with many aspects of Law and Commerce, and those
interested in the social context of legal and business insti-
tutions will fi nd it of interest.
Sociology staff research interests include: nationalism;
multi-culturism and bi-culturism; medical sociology;
gender, sexuality and health; bioethics; ageing; death
and dying; hegemony and race relations in New Zealand;
classical and contemporary political and social theory;
the history of ideas, post-Marxism; political sociology;
the sociology of development and globalisation; cultural
studies; embodiment; everyday life; and humour.
Cultural Anthropology and Sociology can also be pur-
sued at the postgraduate level. This includes: Graduate
Diploma in Arts (GradDipArts); Bachelor of Arts with
Honours (BA(Hons)); Master of Arts (MA); and Doctor of