Undergraduate Program

What is Anthropology?

ANTHROPOS: Human + LOGIA: Science of =

Anthropology

Anthropology is a discipline committed to describing, interpreting, and explaining the historical, biological, and cultural diversity of the human species. Anthropology's unique contribution to the human sciences and humanities is its expansive scope - temporally and spatially - in the study of human beings. It includes the study of human evolution, the archaeological record, language and culture, the relationship between humans and their environment, and cultural modes of being as these differ in time and space. In studying anthropology, students can better understand how to find ways to live together in today's world, respecting cultural diversity while building upon common human values.

If you have questions about the Undergraduate Program in Anthropology, please contact Diane Guerra, at djguerra@u.washington.edu or (206) 543-7772.

The primary fields within the discipline include:

• Archaeology: The exploration of human prehistory through evidence of past human activities.
• Biocultural Anthropology: The study of the evolution and adaptation of the human species, non-human primates, and modern human populations.
• Sociocultural Anthropology: The study of culture broadly conceived, including language and symbolic systems, practices, and identities.

All of these fields are represented in the department's curriculum and in the research of faculty members.