Busting 8 Misconceptions About Anthropology

“Anthropology” — in the minds of some, it’s the name of a trendy (and expensive) store. But for the students who plan the annual Richard Frucht Memorial Lecture Series, it’s the very real, very serious, and always exciting study of humanity. To help clear up any confusion about what “anthropology” is, here’s a list of what it’s not (as put together by budding anthropologists):

It’s Not Mysticism and There Aren’t Any Dinos

So many people hear the term anthropology, give a face, and ask “what’s that mean?” If they hear archaeology many think about dinosaurs or ancient tombs, of which we only look at the latter example. But the biggest misconception that I’ve come across is the mysticism of the term itself. Anthropology is essentially the study of humans, including all aspects of their modern, ancient, and evolutionary history. That’s what makes Anthropology so interesting. Anthropological studies are inherently interdisciplinary and can look at all aspects of the world around us.

It’s also why we don’t study dinosaurs; apart from Jurassic Park (of which the science behind it is from anthropological research), dinosaurs were not around at the same time humans were.

~ Katherine Bishop, PhD Candidate

It’s Not All Remote

Coming from a socio-cultural (anthropology) perspective, one of the usual misconception that I find people assume about anthropology is that it is all about the study of ‘tribal’ peoples or cultures in ‘remote’ areas. Anthropology is the study of human beings through space and time so it is basically everything and everywhere! The four-field approach of the anthropological discipline — archaeology, biological, linguistic, and socio-cultural — is what makes it unique, flexible, and holistic. So there is an actual truth in the saying that “anthropology is the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities.”

~ Kevin Chavez Laxamana, MA Student

It DOES Involve Science

A lot of people do not know that anthropology has four fields. And due to this, a common misconception is that anthropology is not related to science. Many aspects of anthropology are connected to science and certain courses are listed as science options at universities. What makes anthropology unique and important is that it is multidisciplinary, bringing together the faculties of art and science to put forward a more holistic discipline.

~ Alexandra Rocca, MA Student

It’s Not Just About People

People widely believe that anthropology is the study people and civilizations, but it is so much more than that. Personally, to me, anthropology is a synthesis of culture and biology and how the two intertwine to create what we see, for example, in the archaeological record, in written records, and what is genetically embedded into human physiology. Anthropology is a holistic field, embedded in a four field approach grounded in socio-cultural, biological, archaeological, and linguistic models of thought. Without one, we do not have the other.

~ Hanna Friedlander, MA Student

It IS Interdisciplinary

A lot of people don’t realize that anthropology is interdisciplinary. We borrow methods from a variety of fields, including the sciences. While I believe that anthropology truly is a social science, I wish more institutions would recognize that some subfields of anthropology incorporate a lot of scientific theory and methods in their approaches to research. I dislike the misconception that our work is somehow less valuable simply because most of the time we graduate with an arts degree, rather than a science degree.

~ Helena Ramsaroop, MA Student

It’s Not Useless

That it’s a useless degree. Honestly, anything can be anthropology! Anthropology is the study of humans, so anything related to humanity can be done through an anthropological lens. I have colleagues studying music, politics, history, medicine, anatomy, migration, statistics, and geology — all in the Department of Anthropology! We have such a diversity of interests and experience that I feel really enriches our experience as students and academics. We have the opportunity to be cross-disciplinary with our degrees, and bring a new holistic perspective to various fields of study. Anthropology teaches you to be able to view the world from many different perspectives, which can provide productive and intriguing insights to concepts or facts that are taken for granted in some other disciplines.

~ Talisha Chaput, MA Student

It’s Not What It Looks Like On TV

As a forensic anthropologist, I’m often frustrated by TV show’s depiction of the discipline. I would want to tell people that although it is not like you see on the shows, it can be just as interesting, fascinating, exciting and equally as complicated; and we do a LOT more paperwork!

~ Kayleigh Watson, MA Student