Teaching
Professors in Richmond’s anthropology department have field experience in South Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. They teach courses that provide overviews of their particular areas of emphasis as well as subject-specific courses such as culture and gender, the anthropology of religion and legal anthropology.
Most anthropology courses will focus on cultural anthropology. Traditionally, these classes have had an emphasis on pre-industrial cultures such as the Australian Aborigines, the Eskimos and the herding peoples of Africa. More recently, cultural anthropology classes have expanded to include courses in both Western and non-Western peoples living in major cities and even to modern institutions such as the U.S. Congress. Courses often rely on statistics, definitions, observation and immersion to analyze the people and cultures students are studying.
Sociology students will take courses that touch on culture, socialization, deviance, social order and social control, social inequality and social change. To fully understand social structures, students will take courses that touch on government, economics, work, religion, community, family, education and sports. Courses will introduce students to comparative studies, social problems, social movements and collective behavior. Taking interdisciplinary courses in other areas like anthropology and women, gender and sexuality studies will contribute to an even richer experience for students.
Courses vary by semester, but viewing current courses will give you an indication of the variety of topics you will find within the discipline.
