The major program at St. Lawrence not only involves intensive study in anthropology, but also enriches the studies of students in other disciplines who wish to include anthropology courses in their courses of study. Anthropology links the social sciences, natural sciences, arts and humanities. It has always utilized insights from biology, geology, geography, history, philosophy, political science, economics, psychology and many other disciplines.
Our faculty are prepared to assist students in pursuing a range of directions in their studies within the broad field of the discipline. Our archaeology laboratory houses several collections of artifacts and materials for hands-on study. Our faculty, with personal field experience in Africa , Europe , India , Australia , and the Pacific Islands , have published numerous books on cultures and human issues in different parts of the world, often addressing the interrelationships among local cultural systems and global forces.
Some of our courses are cross-listed for credit toward African studies, Asian studies, biology, Canadian studies, English literature, Native American studies, environmental studies, fine arts, gender studies, global studies, and music. The department offers combined majors with African studies and environmental studies. Specific anthropology courses also fulfill the social sciences, diversity and science studies distribution requirements.
In recognition of the diverse approaches to the study of humanity that anthropology involves, the department offers introductory courses in each of the principal branches of the discipline: archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology and linguistics. These courses are designed for beginning students and assume no previous knowledge of the discipline. They provide avenues to more intensive and specialized study in each of these areas. All of them, beginning from distinct sets of questions, converge on the central and fundamental issue of what it means to be human.