Department Overview

The disciplines of sociology and anthropology share common philosophical roots and concerns for the social and cultural conditions of human life, yet the two fields have developed independently over the last century. Sociology has traditionally concentrated on Western industrial society; anthropology has focused primarily on non-Western and often small-scale, non-literate societies. Sociology has emphasized quantitative methods; anthropology has depended on qualitative methods, especially observation.

Today, the line between sociology and anthropology is not distinct. We have come to recognize that the academic approaches of both fields enhance each other—helping us comprehend a complex world of many interrelated and interdependent societies. Combining the anthropologist’s approach of studying human behavior with the sociologist’s quantitative methods, we have developed a program at Lewis & Clark that offers students a solid understanding of the important aspects and methods of both fields. The curriculum provides an integrated major in sociology and anthropology. It also provides a diversity of approaches to the disciplines through the varied interests of the faculty.

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology regularly receives recognition for the caliber of work accomplished by its students and faculty. The department places a strong emphasis on developing writing and research skills. Many courses require a substantial amount of writing, not just as a product, but as a process to discover what students think. Certain courses, such as Qualitative Research Methods, engage students in intensive research projects. In this particular course, each student picks a segment of the Portland community to study. Students have explored the use of persuasion by travel agents and “headhunters,” various aspects of the local indigent population, and a community of women ex-convicts, as well as many other groups in the community. 

Each senior conducts an independent research project using the knowledge, skills, and methods learned in previous courses. Students who demonstrate exceptional scholarship throughout the program and who produce a thesis of outstanding quality earn honors at graduation.

A major in sociology/anthropology provides good preparation for students going into law, business, and a variety of human service occupations. The major also prepares students for graduate school in sociology, anthropology, public policy, urban planning, health administration, and several other areas.

Examples of student internships

• Studied techniques to recruit and motivate volunteers at the Sierra Club.
• Worked as a staff member at Our New Beginnings, a halfway house for women in the criminal justice system.
• Cataloged materials in Japan collection at the Museum of Natural History, New York.

Examples of student research

• “Ethnographic Study of a Home for Mentally Ill Young Men.”
• “Archaeological Study in Israel.”
• “Study of the West Hotel for Homeless Women.”
• “Domestic Colonization.”

Examples of positions obtained by sociology/anthropology graduates

• Executive director, Larkin Street Youth Center, a social service agency in San Francisco. Featured on “NBC Whitepaper.”
• Director of VISTA Adult Literacy Program, Portland
• Graduate students in master’s/Ph.D. programs in anthropology or sociology at Stanford University, University of California at Santa Cruz, University of Washington, Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, Indiana University

 

“Trying to understand human experience is the fascinating part of studying sociology and anthropology. Reading and practicing anthropology, for instance, makes you see the world in ways that might not be readily apparent to other people. You hear language differently, you watch interaction differently-it tunes you in to all sorts of dimensions of experience.”

Jane Atkinson
Professor of Anthropology

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