What is an Anthropologist?

An anthropologist is a researcher who specializes in the study of human societies. Anthropology literally means “study of man,” and anthropologists are fascinated modern humans, from their origins thousands of years ago to the present day. Physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, and archeology are examples of subfields within the discipline of anthropology. All of these fields aim to give us a better understanding of people.

Anthropologists are curious about what distinguishes humans from other organisms. They research human physical characteristics, as well as human society, culture, history, and the ways in which humans have evolved over time. An anthropologist might investigate religious rituals in India or black society in the United States, for example. Anthropologists are fascinated human differences, particularly the factors that distinguish different groups, contribute to the development of distinct cultures, and shape human societies.

A working anthropologist usually spends a lot of time in the field, observing past and present human societies. An anthropologist’s data can be compiled into a paper or book that discusses new discoveries and their implications, or builds on previous advances in the field. Anthropologists also study long-term cultural changes, with many of them focusing on the Westernization of developing countries. A researcher may be skilled in anthropology, statistics, history, and ethnography, the discipline that entails creating scholarly written presentations about various human cultures, in addition to anthropology.

A variety of college and university anthropology programs are available to those interested in pursuing a career as an anthropologist. People who are serious about this field often pursue a doctoral degree, which will provide them with more employment and research opportunities. In this vast and diverse field of the social sciences, there is always room for more researchers, especially when they bring new, innovative, and unique ideas to the table.

Anthropology, like other academic disciplines, has been used for nefarious purposes on occasion. Some anthropologists attempted to prove categorical differences in intellect, cultural sophistication, and social development between humans of different races in the 18th century, thereentrenching and justifying racism. Physical anthropology was used to exaggerate claims about racial differences in particular. Racist attitudes have thankfully faded from the field of anthropology, and while modern anthropologists will readily admit that physical, cultural, and social differences exist between races, they will not suggest that these differences imply superiority or sophistication.