Why Study Anthropology?
Anthropology explores the human condition, appreciating
humans as both biological and cultural creatures. The primary
focus of our program is Cultural Anthropology, which studies the
ways that humans create meaning, forge alliances, assert
differences, reinforce and create anew social and political
hierarchies, and expose vectors of inequality. Students are
trained to read critically and understand the complexities of
ethnography-the research method and product that defines the
discipline. They also have the opportunity to produce their own
original ethnographic work in course research assignments as well
as larger honors thesis projects, which may be the outgrowth of
study abroad, field school, or internship experiences.
The ability to analyze different cultures, figure out how they
work, and step into them-applying the characteristic methods and
theories of our discipline-readily prepares students for a variety
of careers: health care, education, NGOs, and, increasingly,
various forms of business. Anthropology majors are also well
prepared for advanced study in anthropology and archeology, public
health, social work, law, and business.
Why Study History?
History explores the human condition throughout the world from
earliest time to the present moment. It investigates what
actually happened in the world in order to comprehend why people
think what they think and do what they do. There is no
question or problem of human life foreign to history. One
age-old purpose of history is to ready people as citizens to care
for the common good and public life. Another, equally
venerable, is moral: history trained people to consider carefully
the possibilities of good life or better life together. Not
so long ago historians focused most of their attention on the
politics, wars, and thought of elites. In recent years
history has broadened its scope to encompass the lives of all
people. History as a discipline characteristically teaches
its students to read and analyze texts and artifacts of every
sort. Its search for meaning requires of its students
creative intelligence to develop from their findings hypotheses and
theories that seek an ever better, often changing, understanding of
the patterns of human life. History is perforce a
conversation since it takes many eyes, ears, and minds to fathom
the complexities of life on this planet, so historians offer their
own thoughts and listen carefully to the thoughts of others to
refine both. It is uncommonly fun. Students of
history take these skills and habits of thought in every imaginable
direction, to graduate and professional study, often to teaching,
law, government, civil service, and business, frequently to
vocations that care for people, finally to building communities and
raising children.
Why Study Anthropology and History at
Butler?
We offer just about the only curriculum in America that weds the
depth of history and the breadth of anthropology. Like the
blind sages and the elephant, we address basic aspects of life from
different perspectives, then talk about it with each other.
Both programs work together to train students to read with acuity,
attend carefully to detail, write clearly, listen carefully, say
well what they have to say, think both imaginatively and
analytically, and work fruitfully with other people. We ask
students, not just to listen to us, still less mimic us, but to do
the things we do: pose their own questions, seek answers to
their questions in archival research or ethnographic investigation,
develop their own ideas and opinions and address the ideas and
opinions of other people throughout time and across the world,
grapple with the fundamental moral questions which life poses for
us. We seek to give students practice in thinking for
themselves and good company in which to do so. Our small
class size and student-faculty ratio guarantee one-on-one
attention, mentoring, and guidance to all majors and minors.
We know our students well. The anthropology and history
programs at Butler do not seek to train students for any particular
profession but seek instead to equip our students with the skills
to become who they wish to be. Because students come to our
programs with widely varying interests and goals, we offer them no
uniform regimen of study or of practical experience. Each
student, grounded in several fundamental courses of method and
theory, builds a suitable course of study geared to their specific
interests. The department offers more advanced students
various opportunities for student research often culminating in
honors theses. We seek to deepen book learning with various
kinds of hands-on experience, and our courses, when appropriate,
regularly incorporate experiential components. Anthropology
students helped Exodus International settle Burmese refugees in
Indianapolis and turn what they shared into ethnographies for
class. Students in a course on working class history shadowed
the Butler grounds crew, cleaners, and cafeteria workers. The
department also offers practical experience to test the waters for
later life. During the past few years students in the
department have undertaken internships in circumstances as varied
as the Indiana State House, the Indiana State Archives, the US
Attorney General's Office, the Center for American Progress,
archeological field sites in Kenya, the Legal Aid Society of
Indianapolis, the Kinsey Institute, a Tibetan refugee camp in
India, Father and Families Inc. of Indianapolis, the Monroe County
Historical Society, a women's domestic violence organization in
Buenos Aires, Earth House in Indianapolis, and humanitarian
organizations in Palestine. The graduates of our programs
quickly scatter in all directions. Many first give their
energies to help other people through programs like Teach For
America and the Peace Corps. Many seek graduate study, law
school, medical school; others enter government, the military, or
civil service, and still other various forms of business. We
also number amongst our graduates a fireman, a missionary, a
carpenter, and research chemists, each of whom is happy to explain
how studying history and anthropology helped get them where they
wished to go. Indianapolis offers much that we use in
teaching and learning: Indiana's seat of government and hard hit
neighborhoods, a Rembrandt self-portrait, Chinese scroll paintings,
and immigrant communities fresh off the boat, museums and archives,
sports teams and political rallies, music, theater, homeless
people, domestic violence shelters, ethnic and religious
communities of every description. Our courses draw on them
all.
If you come to study in our department, the first thing we
will ask of you is to tell us what you wish to make of yourself and
we will seek together to find the ways in which how studying in our
department can help make you into the person you wish to be.
Our first year seminar, whose purpose is to introduce you to the
theory and methods of both history and anthropology, the ways they
are different, the ways they complement each other, studies what
happens when people encounter each other for the first time, how
they make sense of the new and unknown, and what happens when their
practices, beliefs, and visions of the world collide.
Thereafter course work takes each student in individual directions,
deepens practice in methods and theories, develops critical
thinking, and refines skills of reading and writing in which
students express what they think and learn. These courses
lead students to develop their own goals and conduct individual
research leading to individual projects and honors theses.
Our department helps students to find their way to being a
vigorous part of their community and the world. Almost as
soon as you walk through our door, we will be pushing you out again
to make you better anthropologists and historians: we will be
encouraging you to study abroad, undertake internships in all
manner of organizations, work in museums and archives, participate
in mock trials, present work at conferences, volunteer time and
skills here and at home.