What is Sociocultural Anthropology?
Sociocultural anthropology is the study of human individuals and societies, their behaviours and beliefs, and everything about human culture. It is one of the four traditional subfields of anthropology. At UTM, our sociocultural courses include topics in political, legal, and environmental anthropology.
If you are interested in journalism, marketing, legal policy development, community, environment, politics, policy, advocacy, human resources, health: consider a focus in Sociocultural Anthropology at UTM.
Career areas include:
- Consulting
- Non-profit associations
- Non-governmental organizations (globalization, environment)
- Government agencies (foreign affairs, justice, immigration, multiculturalism, social services)
- Health care (cross-cultural health research, cultural sensitivity training, and research in health care)
- Journalism
- Publishing and Advertising
- Human relations
- Market research
- Academia
"Anthropology was crucial in honing my analytical skills for law school, specifically socio-cultural anthropology."
-Revathi Moturi: Studying for J.D degree at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law
Undergraduate programs
UTM undergraduate students who focus in sociocultural anthropology normally enrol in one of the following programs:
- Specialist Program in Anthropology (Arts) ERSPE1775
- Major Program in Anthropology (Arts) ERMAJ1775
Learn about Anthropology programs at UTM
Undergraduate courses
Most of our recommended upper-level courses for a focus in sociocultural anthropology are anthropology social science (SSc) credits.
Spotlight on ANT219H5: How Do We Know? The Social Anthropology of Knowledge
“How do we know what we know?” is a question that has long concerned anthropologists. And in a world like ours – where “fake news,” religious credos and conspiracy theories coexist with common sense, mainstream media and scientific truth(s) – the question seems more important than ever. This course explore anthropological insights into knowledge and the question of how we know.
Topics covered in ANT219H5 may include:
- surveillance
- witchcraft
- conspiracy
- governance
- Artificial Intelligence
- Big Data
Learn about Anthropology courses at UTM
Teaching and Research Specialties
At UTM, our faculty teaching and research specialties in sociocultural anthropology include:
- Work, labour, economics, ethics
- Inter-relations between the environment, religion, and science
- Media (newspapers, video, film)
- Neoliberalism and globalization
Regions of interest include:
- Eastern Africa
- Europe
- Middle East
- South Asia
- Southern Africa
Virtual Showcase Information Sessions:
A brief overview of Sociocultural / Environmental Anthropology at UTM presented by Dr. Steven Dorland (3:15)
A brief overview of Sociocultural / Legal / Political Anthropology at UTM presented by Dr. Steven Dorland (2:01)