|
|
|
 |
Careers for Anthropology Graduates |
|
 |
 |
What Will an Anthropology Degree Give You? |
|
Anthropology is the study of people: where they came from, how they live differently in different societies across the world, how they interact with each other and with their environment.
As well as specific subject knowledge, an anthropology degree will help develop your:
- analytical skills
- clear and logical thinking
- communication skills
- cultural awareness
- ability to gather, assess and interpret data
- problem solving skills
|
|
What Can You Do With an Anthropology Degree? |
|
With these skills anthropology graduates pursue careers in a wide variety of fields including:
- Film, television and journalism
- International development
- Charitable organisations
- Health and social care
- Business
- Conservation
- Education
- Personnel management
- Town and country planning
More information about anthropology and careers can be found on the Royal Anthropological Institute website.
|
|
Some Kent Graduates |
|
Lydia Tappin (2005, BSc Anthropology) Before I started my anthropology
degree at Kent I knew very little about the subject but I was won over by the course description in the prospectus and an enthusiastic lecturer at the Open Day. I was sure that I would be interested in the
subject and during my first year I was immediately drawn in by the diversity of the discipline. By the time I reached my third year I knew that I wanted to specialise in biological and physical anthropology, and the structure of the course allowed me to focus on my interests while carrying out an independent research project.The experience of conducting scientific research was invaluable, although a little daunting at first. However thanks to some great support and close tutoring from my supervisors I produced a piece of
work that I was proud of. The enjoyment I gained from doing my dissertation was one of the reasons
I decided to go on to postgraduate studies.The staff at Kent nurtured my interests and I’m now taking an MSc in Human Evolution and Behaviour and hope to have a career in scientific research.
Rob Yeldham (1985, BA Social Anthropology and Politics and Government) UKC (as it was then) was a life-making opportunity for me. I met my wife there, and social anthropology and student politics proved to be the best possible preparation for my career. After Kent I worked as a lobbyist and campaigner in the not-for-profit sector for five years. I then turned gamekeeper and worked for the Labour Party and Labour politicians for another ten years. Understanding informal power relationships and networking have been essential. I am now 'going straight', putting my PR skills to use as Head of Communications for the London Borough of Lewisham.
 Kirstie Wielandt (1995, BA Social Anthropology) My degree prompted a huge fascination with the great apes and, upon moving to London, I started work with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, a conservation NGO that works to protect the last remaining mountain gorillas in central Africa. I then worked for Save the Rhino International, which campaigns to protect the five remaining rhino species in Africa and Asia. During my time there I was fortunate enough to manage their wonderfully eccentric London Marathon team, which includes 12 rhino-costumed runners and climb Mount Kilimanjaro with a team of (far fitter) fundraisers. I then briefly left the animal world, and worked for the fantastic development NGO WaterAid, where I managed their corporate partnerships and organised stewarding teams at Glastonbury Festival. I now work in the PR and Media team at the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), and am currently organising a global photographic exhibition which will feature the challenges faced by animals around the world, such as the bushmeat trade and intensive industrial farming.
Claire Scott (2004, BSc Anthropology) After leaving school I knew university was for me, but didn't have a clear idea of what I wanted to do as a career afterwards. Anthropology
seemed like a logical choice as it contained such a wide range of subjects. Biology was my strong subject at school, but I was also interested in learning more about different cultures, and how societies
develop and function. Anthropology at Kent allowed me to combine the biological side of anthropology, such as how the human brain evolved, with the cultural side, such as the religious practices of Southeast Asia.These two aspects of the degree fused perfectly – it’s a well-rounded degree applicable to many careers. My anthropology studies inspired me to travel and get first-hand experience of different cultures. After graduation, I spent two months in Borneo working in an orangutan orphanage. It was great to get to
know the Malay culture, and also draw on my primate studies from Kent. I also worked and travelled around Australia for eight months, which was an amazing experience. I am now back in the UK and just
about to start a master’s degree in Health through Occupation, which will lead to a qualification as an Occupational Therapist. I feel anthropology will be of great use in my future career, as it has given me
an understanding of anatomy and also of how people’s belief systems and culture impact their daily lives.
Gemma Enolengila (née Burford) (2001, MSc Environmental Anthropology) I worked part-time for two years as a co-editor of the WHO Global Atlas on Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which was finally published in 2005. Lesikar and I still live in Tanzania, where we married in January 2003, and now have two daughters, Lucia (nearly three) and Suzanna (six months). We are building and running a secondary school in his village, Eluwai, which has 66 students - most of them Maasai - and are trying to integrate traditional environmental and health-related knowledge alongside the national curriculum. We also run a summer school programme for university students in anthropology, development, environment and health studies.
Alan Smith (1975, Ph.D. in Social Anthropology) After finishing my PhD, I had a modest start in a research job at Warwick University but I soon got a job in what is now the Natural Resources Institute. This took me all over the world on short term missions, although these were not necessarily related to anthropology. After 10 years with the Institute, I was offered a position as Chief Technical Adviser in, of all things, a Swiss-funded potato research and development project in Pakistan. After nearly 5 years in Pakistan, I moved to managing a community foresty project in Bolivia, also with the Swiss. This kept me busy for another 5 years until I landed a job in El Salvador as co-Director of a European Union rural rehabilitation project, helping to restore the livelihoods of communities ravaged by civil war. From there, I returned to Bolivia to work for a Danish NGO as coordinator of a conservation and development programme in and around a national park - the activities of the programme ranged from bio-diversity conservation, to eco-tourism, to improving agricultural production and marketing, to helping communities put in water supply systems. Lastly, I ended up in my present job as programme manager of the social strategy of the Forest Stewardship Council, based in Bonn, Germany. It can fairly be said that my anthropology degree from Kent opened many doors for me, not just in the academic field in which I did my Ph.D. but in a diversity of career opportunities.
|
| Last Updated: 03/08/06 |
|
