What Are the Fields of Anthropology and Sociology All About?
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     Anthropology is the study of all aspects of humankind, in various times and places. Most courses in our department focus on sociocultural anthropology, which looks at how societies are organized on the basis of shared ideas (or culture). But anthropology also includes a biological subfield (the study of what we are as a species and how we got to be that way), archaeology (the study of society through examining material products), and linguistics (the study of language).
 
     Sociocultural anthropology and sociology are "close cousins" (or, more formally, "cognate disciplines"). They have some common "founding fathers". They both take a "holistic" approach to social organization and culture: That is, they examine all aspects of society, including family, education, deviancy, etc.; and they look at the way these aspects of society are related to one another. Both fields also foster critical thinking. They ask us to question the ideas we take for granted, and to compare what we believe and what we actually do.
 
     The two fields also share many research methods (like interviews, and observations made in everyday settings). Sociologists do tend more often to favour surveys, which provide information that can be put into numerical or "quantitative" form. This is partly because sociologists also emphasize large-scale studies of large-scale industrial societies, especially our own. Sociocultural anthropologists also study our own society and others like it, but they usually focus on smaller groupings (neighbourhoods, workplaces, etc.) within the whole.
 
     Anthropologists pay more attention than others (including sociologists) to small-scale, "exotic" societies, and to comparing a broad range of very different ones. However, both anthropology and sociology study differences between groups (by "race," cultural background, occupation, gender, etc.) within societies.
 
  
Why Study Anthropology and Sociology?
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     There are two main reasons. First, Arts courses are meant to broaden our minds and help us appreciate the workings of our world. And, after all, virtually everything we do takes place in social groups, be it science, business, even breaking laws, etc. Anthropology and sociology raise important questions about the ways we collectively think and act. In doing so, they make us more aware of social prejudices and make us more open-minded about others. In sum, they give us new perspectives on things we take for granted.
 
     Second, these fields are relevant to various kinds of work. In the past, most anthropologists and sociologists worked as professors, but that is changing rapidly. Now, they work in many settings: in industry, government, and social services, etc. Both anthropology and sociology prepare people to do research in social settings, to design and assess social policy, to guide the implementation of programs and policies, and do various kinds of organizational and social- service work. Since they provoke social sensitivity, they provide excellent preparation for work in our increasingly multicultural world.
 
     Like other Arts fields, anthropology and sociology programs do not offer training for specific jobs. But both are helpful in accessing and succeeding in many careers. Many Arts degree graduates, these days, go on to take specific vocational training programs. Both fields are relevant to further studies in a wide variety of professional programs, such as community development and other social-work specialties, criminology, health promotion, journalism, and law. Both anthropology and sociology can be used as "teachables" for entry into education programs (though some restrictions apply, and students should check the requirements of the B.Ed. programs at the universities they are interested in attending). In short, anthropology and sociology are useful for any field that requires an understanding of social issues and social-problem solving.
 
  
What Kinds of Courses Are Offered in the Department?
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     We offer a wide variety of courses. They include the study of small-scale groups (like family), and large-scale issues (like international development). We offer courses on work and on bureaucracy, but also on "popular culture" (e.g., TV and music), health, and deviant behaviour. Our "methods" courses teach especially marketable skills. Our quantitative methods course, for example, teaches students to use computer programs to organize, understand, and evaluate numerical information, like that of opinion polls and other surveys. In our qualitative methods course, we teach interviewing and focus group skills, as well as observational techniques.
 
     For more information, check the Courses section of this Website, as well as the Anthropology-Sociology section in the Cape Breton University calendar.
 
  
How Can Anthropology and Sociology Fit into My Program at Cape Breton University?
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     Our courses serve students in all degree programs. The following provides a summary. For more information on program options and requirements, check the Cape Breton U. calendar.
 
     All Bachelor of Arts (BA) students must take a "core course" in several specific areas of study. In most core areas, students are given some options. Three of our courses can be used to fulfill core-course requirements. Our "Introduction to Anthropology and Sociology" (AN/S 110) fulfills the social sciences core-course requirement for BA students. Our "Quantitative Methods" (AN/S-POLS 268) and our "Humankind: Nature and Development" (AN/S 220) both each serves as a core course in the area of science & numbers. While the BA requires only one course from this category, students are free to take them for degree credit, or –in the case of “Quantitative Methods” – as part of the Social Science Research certificate. Students who take these courses can also count them as Anthropology and/or Sociology credits.
 
     Our courses can be used in Cape Breton University's four-year "major" programs, and as "concentrations" in the three-year program.  (See the "Requirements" section)  Arts students can also "minor in" either or both fields. Some BA students take our courses as "electives." In brief, BA students can use our courses in a variety of ways. For more detail on the Cape Breton University BA program, see the Cape Breton U. calendar.
 
     We also offer an "honours" programs to prepare students for graduate studies. Students can do independent research under faculty guidance and take "directed studies" credits, which focus on specialty themes of the student's choice. Virtually all who have applied for post-graduate programs have been admitted to them, with offers of substantial financial aid. Some are now working as professors, professional researchers, civil servants, or lawyers.
 
     Bachelor of Arts in Community Studies (BACS) students combine academic and career-related courses. Either or both of our fields can serve as academic components, and students sometimes credit some of our courses as career-related ones. Four-year BACS students can opt to take a major in anthropology and/or sociology. For more information, check the Cape Breton U. calendar. (See the "Requirements" section)
 
     The Cape Breton University Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is a four-year program with many requirements, but it requires students to take at least 24 of their 120 credits in non-Business courses, and allows students to take up to 54 credits in electives, which can consist of Arts courses. It is thus possible for BBA students to take enough courses to also get a major or concentration in anthropology and sociology.
 
     Bachelor of Science (BSc) students have limited room for Arts courses, but are required to take a social-science "elective." Some of our courses are more directly relevant to science students. These include introductory biological anthropology (ANTH 205), prehistory (ANTH 206), "Humankind" (AN/S 220), "Culture, Distress, and Psychiatric Abnormality" (ANTH 237), “Rationalizing Inequality: The Abuse of Science” (AN/S 300), and "Health, Illness, and Medicine" (AN/S 320).
 
  

Who Are the Faculty in this Department?
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     Cape Breton University prides itself on the accessibility of its faculty. Department members take the time to meet with students, to offer advice about post-graduate programs, career paths, or other forms of assistance. All faculty have voice mail and e-mail, where messages can be left when faculty members are out of the office attending to other duties. In addition, the secretary that serves the department is on hand to answer questions and help direct students to sources of assistance. To find out more about any department faculty member's background, research, and community service activities, click on her/his name on the Faculty Page.