My 2 Cents on Anthropology

After taking this Anthropology course I have learned to look at things holistically. I am able to make the connection between events, objects, ect and culture very quickly. I really enjoyed learning about the meanings and symbols behind culture and how they got there. Most importantly I learned not look at culture from an ethnocentric point view, I need to be more open to understanding the meanings behind people’s actions. I feel that Anthropology needs to be done through fieldwork; I think sitting in a classroom learning about a culture is not as interesting as actually being there. By reading Nest in the Wind by Martha Ward I was able to connect everything we had learned over the semester, I feel we should have read more than one ethnography but I understand the time constraints.
So what do I think about anthropology? I think it is an important field and if more of us looked at cultures the way anthropologists there would be less discrimination and hate. I feel anthropology helps us understand other’s cultures and our own. I never analyzed my own culture until I analyzed some else’s because I was able to compare the two cultures. Overall I think anthropology is an awesome field to work in, I feel much more understanding of other cultures and much more aware of my own after taking this course. Anthropology seems like a lot of fun and the fieldwork seems like an amazing experience. I find Anthropology interesting because I was able to look at my culture holistically and I am now aware of how changes in one area of my life affect the rest. I really enjoyed learning about anthropology.