Study the diversity of human culture and the dynamics of social organization around the world, both past and present.
Across time and around the world, anthropologists explore the range of human life, cultures and social structures. The work is typically field-based using ethnographic methods.
Our major and minor are based on cross-cultural, bio-cultural and holistic approaches—including sociocultural, linguistic and applied—to the scientific understanding of human behavior and society.
Electives include Medical Anthropology; Globalization; Social Life of Media; and the Anthropology of Sports.
Majors are encouraged to experience another culture by studying abroad or participating in a summer field program. Your senior exercise may be based on library research or original fieldwork conducted during study abroad. A public policy major in anthropology is also available.
What You’ll Study
- The structure and dynamics of human culture
- Theory and history of anthropology
- Ethnography and field research methods
- Statistics for math, politics, psychology or economics
- Five electives chosen in consultation with your advisor
Researching at Pomona
Working Against Evictions
With PCIP funding, Carrie Zaremba ’22 conducted community-based research with the Right to the City Alliance (RTTC), a network of dozens of grassroots organizations across the U.S. committed to building a unified land and housing justice movement. Zaremba employed GIS spatial analysis and social movements theory to support RTTC’s anti-eviction campaign strategy.
What I love about the Anthropology Department is how supportive it is of open-ended endeavors. As my own interests have shifted from housing policy, to education, to tech justice, the department and my advisor have encouraged those developments and supported my exploration.