Anthropology and Sociology Department

John Dudley, Interim Chair
301 East Hall
(605) 677-5402
anthropology@usd.edu
www.usd.edu/anthropology

FACULTY

Associate Professor:

David Lane, Deviant Behavior, Criminology, Collective Behavior and Social Movements

Assistant Professors:

David Posthumus, Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology, Native American Studies, Ethnohistory
Louisa Roberts, Global and Transnational Sociology, Human Rights, Political Sociology, Cultural Sociology, Law and Society, Comparative and Historical Sociology, Quantitative Methods, Theory, Gender and Sexuality, Race and Ethnicity

Lecturers:

Daniel Jaster, Sociology
Stephanie Spars, Forensic Anthropology, Sociology

MAJOR:

Anthropology, B.A., B.S.
Sociology, B.A., B.S.

MINORS:

Anthropology
Archaeology
Geography
Sociology

Anthropology is the study of culture, material objects and physical characteristics of humans and their ancestors. Studies in Cultural Anthropology range from modern communities to cultures that existed in the past. Anthropological Archaeologists excavate and study the material objects left by past cultures while Physical Anthropologists study the physical characteristics of humans, their ancestors and our closest relatives. Forensic Anthropology is a sub-field of Physical Anthropology that deals with the interpretation of human remains found at crime scenes. Linguistic Anthropology studies the connections between languages and cultures. Our program exposes students to all aspects of Anthropology in the classroom, laboratory and the field and provides our majors with numerous opportunities to participate directly in ongoing research projects.

Whether at the micro- or macro-levels, sociologists study the processes whereby social institutions are created, maintained, and transformed. Of special interest is how these institutions reproduce, or challenge, race-, class-, and sex-based inequalities. Sociology is important for understanding controversial issues, such as crime and delinquency, wealth and poverty, family breakup, deindustrialization and disinvestment, unemployment, immigration, racism, sexism, aging, and environmental degradation. As a vocation, sociology encourages students to develop the sociological imagination-in other words, to grasp the significance of the fact that human lives are shaped by historically conditioned forces. The ability to connect the private troubles in personal or immediate milieus to public issues, such as systemic contradictions and structural transformations, requires analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as a high level of methodological sophistication. The sociological imagination represents a challenge to those who believe that most problems begin and end at the personal level and become a matter of public concern only when they are seen as a burden. The Sociology Program provides students with the theoretical and methodological tools to guide exploration into these complexities. Undergraduate majors study the theory and methods of sociological research and survey the substantive areas of the discipline. The sociology major is excellent preparation for careers in social work, advocacy, law, public administration, criminal justice, environmental studies, public health, urban planning, and education.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Please contact the department for additional information about available scholarships and awards. Also see College of Arts & Sciences for college/school level scholarships.

Anthropology Department Scholarship Fund