Anthropology
Food and feasts. Ancient pottery and stone tools. Fossil skeletons, marriage rituals, Machu Picchu, chimpanzees. These topics are united under the study of humans: anthropology. We study ancient and modern humans, and how they live.
Anthropology is actually four fields put together: biological/physical, cultural, archaeology, and linguistics. We examine skeletons for what they can tell us about diet, disease, and trauma; we look at cultures around the world to understand different religions, power structures, and personal lives.
Archaeologists examine what is left behind: from small artifacts to large temple complexes. Linguistic anthropologists think about how language- the words we use, and the ways we speak- reflect and shape how we look at the world.
Anthropology shows us the value of human diversity in our cultures and in the way that we speak. In our bodies, and how we evolved, we are incredibly similar. Through a deeper understanding of our common humanity, we can tackle larger issues like race, sex, gender, religion, politics and economics. With this clearer lens, we begin to appreciate our great potential and obligation to empathize and help our fellow humans, thereby helping to build a better world for us all.
San Jacinto Campus
(951) 487-MSJC (6752)
1-800-624-5561
John Torres, (951) 487-3654
jtorres@msjc.edu
Menifee Valley Campus
(951) 672-MSJC (6752)
1-800-452-3335
Erik Ozolins (951) 639-5725
eozolins@msjc.edu