Anthropology and Sociology

Major and Minor

Anthropology and sociology were traditionally thought of as separate disciplines -- anthropology focusing on non-literate cultures and sociology looking at social processes in complex industrial and literate societies. At Knox, anthropology and sociology are complementary parts of a holistic program that examines modern social issues in their complex global and developmental contexts.

The Department of Anthropology and Sociology focuses on social phenomena in contemporary industrial society, on the nature of non-industrial societies, on the impact of technological and administrative change on the traditional societies of the Third World, and on the methodological and theoretical issues that arise in the study of these topics.

The Program
As an anthropology and sociology major, you will receive faculty guidance in designing a personalized program of study, emphasizing relevant courses in allied disciplines and independent study or research as required. Students contemplating the major are encouraged to take courses in related subjects including statistics, economics, political science, psychology, Black studies, gender and women’s studies, history and philosophy.

The department curriculum offers general introductory courses covering broad areas of the disciplines including human evolution, comparative cultures, globalization and other current social issues, as well ethnographic area courses and topical courses ranging from popular culture to urban sociology to psychological anthropology. Departmental offerings also include a two-term course sequence that places students in social service internships within the local community, encouraging an experimental approach to learning about social policies, social problems, and social services. Students with other interests, such as archeology, are encouraged to transfer their credits from off-campus programs and summer field schools.

Aided by one-on-one faculty tutors, you will undertake an extended research project of your own design during your senior year, culminating in a formal paper and a seminar presentation. Some recent topics include:

• Problems Facing Local Farm Families
• An Ethnographic Study of an Illinois Menonnite Commune
• The Role of Folklore in Tabletop Games
• A Fieldwork-Based Study of Change in a Fijian Village
• Social Bonding, Religious Commitment and the Role of Contemporary Christian Music
• Property and Interpersonal Sharing in Knox Student Culture
• Social Services and Interpersonal Networks in the Daily Lives of Elderly Galesburg Residents

Resources
In addition to campus-wide resources such as libraries and technology, the department has equipment and work spaces for transcribing social interviews, extensive reading material on career planning, and files of information on opportunities for graduate study, field schools, off-campus programs, internships and the like.