Enhance Your Education

Distinctive Programs in Anthropology and Sociology

There are ample opportunities to enhance your education in anthropology and sociology. Advisors in the department actively encourage students to take part in research opportunities, off-campus study and internships offered by Knox, the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, and other organizations. These programs are integral to a Knox education, teaching you how to apply your skills in real world situations.

Student Research and Creative Projects
Knox is a leader in promoting top-notch undergraduate research. In fact, more than 90% of all Knox students complete an independent research or creative project by the time they graduate. Many students' projects are supported by an unusually rich array of Knox College funding programs that together provide students more than $200,000 each year in support of their work. These sources include: Richter Memorial Scholars Program, Ford Foundation Research Fellows Program, Ronald E. McNair Fellows Program and departmentally supported independent studies. In addition, special fellowships awarded to Knox through national competitions and through the research grants of Knox faculty make Knox a leader in promoting undergraduate research. Examples of recent research projects include:

• "Loyalties: Social Network and Identity Influence on Political Participation," Jim Hanson '11, anthropology/sociology major.
• "Home Away from Home: Culinary Practices of Knox Students," Melissa Cuenca '11, anthropology/sociology major.
• "A Well-Oiled Machine? Negotiating Money and Identity in a Small Town Music Scence," Zak Kahn '11, anthropology/sociology major.
• "Not the 'Weekend Type of Dad': Changing Expectations of Fatherhood," Michaela Romano '11, anthropology/sociology major.
• "Not in My Neighborhood: Perceptions of Risk in Relation to Methamphetamines' Presence in Galesburg, Illinois," Daniel Feldman '10, anthropology/sociology major.
• "txt msg: Test Messaging and its Impact on Communication and Social Practices," Hannah Gdalman '09, anthropology/sociology major.
• "Intentional Community as Cultural Critique: An Ethnographic Examination of Plow Creek Fellowship," Andrew Raridon '09, anthropology/sociology major.
• "Legal Advocacy in Child Welfare," Rachel Ellen Bobinsky '07, anthropology/sociology major.
• "Social and Gender Ideologies of Latina Gang Members," Emily Sitnick '07, anthropology/sociology major, independent study/senior research funded by McNair program.

College Honors
Outstanding students may elect to undertake College Honors in their senior year, carrying out an advanced research project presented and defended to a faculty committee that includes a distinguished outside examiner. Examples of recent Honors projects include:

• Anthropology/Sociology: "Small Victories: A Peasant Movement Challenges Development in Northeast Thailand," David Owen Ferris '08.
• Sociology: "Restoring Justice and, Sometimes, Selfhood: An Exploration of Identity, the Self, and Values in Restorative Justice Narratives," Julia Miller Strehlow '07.
• Anthropology/Sociology: "Trash Hunters: An ethnographic Study of Scavenging in Khon Kaen, Tahiland," Mary Ellen Batterman '07.
• Anthropology/Sociology and French: "Contested Identities: The Case of African Immigrants Living in France," Adwoa Benponmaa Atta-Krah '06.
• Anthropology/Sociology and French: "Beyond the Incense, World Music, and 'Earth Tones': Perceptions of Fair Trade Amongst Ghanaian Producers and French Consumers," Abimbola Olubunmi Laniyan '06.
• Anthropology/Sociology: "Partisan Airwaves: The Repeal of the Fairness Doctrine and the Rise of Talk Radio," Donald Forti '06.
• Anthropology/Sociology: "Do-It-Yourself, Do-It-Together: Culture and Community in Chicago's Zine Scene," Vanessa Gelvin '06.
• Anthropology/Sociology: "Urbs in Horto: Community Gardening in Northeast Chicago," Golden Powell '06.
• Anthropology-Sociology: "Small City Journalism: Community of Color Coverage and Conflict," Julio Trujil '06.
• Anthropology/Sociology: "Consuming Bollywood, Spirituality and the Hindu Life Cycle: Transitions Between Emotional Spheres," Anjali Krishan '05.

Off-campus Study
Knox offers you plenty of opportunities to begin exploring the world while still a student. Almost 50% of Knox students participate in off-campus study and consider their studies abroad to be the highlight of their college experiences.

Internships
As a student of anthropology and sociology at Knox, you'll have the opportunity to expand your education -- to get that valuable "real world" experience you hear so much about -- by completing an internship. Internships provide an opportunity to explore and test career options, to gain experiences and skills needed to succeed as a professional, to build a resume, to network and make critical connections, and to experience a work environment. More and more employers are looking for college graduates with career-related experience. Knox's Center for Career and Pre-Professional Development specializes in helping you find an internship that best matches your goals and interests. Recent internships by anthropology & sociology students include:

• Intern, Common Cause California, Sacramento, California. Brian Camozzi '08.
• Photo Assistant Intern, Denali National Park in Alaska. Anne Barker '07.
• Summer Intern, World Book Publishing in Chicago, Illinois. Kelsey Jensen '07.
• Administrative Intern, Honor The Earth, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Nicole Olson '06 .
• Liaison Intern, Berlin, El Salvador (working with group that collaborates between rural communities and church delegations from the United States). Ashley Palar '06.