Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Academic Unit Head: Abigail Wightman
Phone: (540) 568-6213
Location: Sheldon Hall, Room 123
Department of Sociology and Anthropology Website
Sociology Program Coordinator: Benjamin Brewer
Email: brewerbd@jmu.edu
Phone: (540) 568-7391
Location: Sheldon Hall, Room 212
Anthropology Program Coordinator: Julie Solometo
Email: solomejp@jmu.edu
Phone: (540) 568-6981
Location: Sheldon Hall, Room 207
Mission
Our quest is to understand why humans behave as they do and the real world is our laboratory. By examining human activity in all of its diverse and complex forms, the work of sociologists and anthropologists forms the basis for confronting many of our world’s most challenging issues.
Sociology
Sociologists study the causes and consequences of social inequality as well as the social aspects of the environment, technology, politics, health, globalization, social movements, social justice, markets, mass media/popular culture, and more.
As a sociology major, you can apply the skills you learn to real-world needs in volunteer projects or internship experiences that will enhance your resumé. Through course work and projects, you can gain hands-on experience doing sociology, which might include: immersion in the daily life of groups, interview methodology, examining recorded interaction, interpreting historical documents, analyzing large national surveys, and producing sophisticated social critique.
Why are these skills important? By examining how our everyday actions are connected to larger social, economic, and political affairs, you can address social possibilities and problems that are important to non-profit organizations, government agencies, and a range of other settings such as management, health care, and marketing. You can be the change!
Anthropology
Anthropology's goal is to document the diversity of ways humans live and have lived throughout the world. Anthropologists go “off road,” working directly with people and their artifacts, to examine their beliefs and values, how they make a living, how they express themselves, how they interact, and how they affect and are affected by the natural world.
Why is this important? An increasingly globalized and multi-cultural world requires anthropological knowledge and insight. Anthropology is essential to students interested in working in both the US and overseas on contemporary issues in areas such as social policy work, international development, public health, community-based advocacy, environmental and social justice, and cultural preservation.
Students in the JMU Anthropology program get to develop their interests by taking a wide range of classes in cultural, linguistic and biological anthropology and archaeology. At JMU, Anthropology majors can also do individually-driven practical and hands-on research in internships, anthropology labs, excavations and field-schools, and on study-abroad programs. Join us: learn what is going on in the world and help to make it a better place.
Student Research Opportunities
Students in the Sociology and Anthropology majors have a wide range of opportunities to develop the rigorous research skills necessary for a strong entry into their professional lives or graduate school.
In the Classroom: Students learn research skills in courses such as SOCI 300, SOCI 480, ANTH 435, ANTH 445, and ANTH 455. These are all small, upper-level seminar-style classes that offer direct hands-on learning.
Outside of the Classroom: Students in Sociology and Anthropology are highly engaged in issues that impact people's daily lives. So it is not surprising that our majors also practice their research skills outside of the classroom. These opportunities include:
- Field Schools and Study Abroad Programs
- Department Summer Study Abroad Programs
- Archaeology Field Schools
- The JMU Archaeology Research Lab
- The Gender and Science Ethnography Lab
- Internships
- Service-Learning Experiences
- Research and Teaching Assistantships with Professors
Career Opportunities
By majoring in Sociology or Anthropology you will join graduates who have gone on to careers in non-profit organizations, medicine, public policy, counseling, communications, urban planning, historical preservation, environmental justice, teaching, journalism, international development and more.