#soc anth

[askacambridgestudent]

Could you actually tell how you would answer the second SocAnth question? I am curious.

Oh god haha

2. Discuss some of the problems that anthropologists face when trying to make sense of the symbols of other cultures.

Okay, just looked through the essay I wrote for that (oh god first year), I think my main points were (a) how do you define a symbol? (b) how should you gather information on symbols [they’re not the kind of thing you can ask directly about usually] (c ) interpretation [can an anthropologist’s interpretation ever be objective]

[askacambridgestudent]

Hello! I went to interviews for HSPS this December and recently got my rejection letter. I think the first interview with sociologists didn't go that well, but I enjoyed very much the second one with an anthropologist and an archaeologist, as I really am much more interested in cultural anthropology. Do you think I might have a better chance for the course that recently split from HSPS? I'm a little bit worried to reapply with a gap year as I'm not from the UK. I'm really grateful for your blog.

It’s a toughie, especially for internationals since most other countries don’t have as developed gap year schemes. Take a look in the reapplying tag for some considerations. 

As for the new degree, go check out the HSPS tag. I’ve talked in there extensively about how to do arch or anth within the new system. You should read around anth a bit to make sure it’s right for you though, I recommend the Oxford Very Short Introduction to Cultural Anthropology and, if you want an accessible ethnography, Lilia Abu Lughod’s Veiled Sentiments. 

[askacambridgestudent]

Hi! newbie here :) I just wonder what made you want to study anthropology?

Uhm the main thing was that I think culture really fundamentally affects people. And living abroad has only strengthened that belief. Like, I am not an average American, most americans do not move abroad, but god am I so fundamentally American. There’s nothing quite like moving abroad to help you understand how much you were shaped by where you’re from. So yeah, I think culture fundamentally affects people and that, in this increasingly globalized world, those differences aren’t appreciated enough and we need more people who are trained to spot them and realize how that’ll affect things like business and politics. 

[askacambridgestudent]

hey potential hsps here :) my question is did you ever study soc anth and, if so, what made you focus on bio anth by your final year??

Yup, my degree is actually “Arch and Anth,” not HSPS. SocAnth was required in first year (as was Arch and BioAnth). I came in thinking I wanted socanth actually, but in the end, it wasn’t quite what I thought. It was a lot of abstract french theory that was such a slog to get through. Though I still find ethnographies fascinating (at least, good ones) the theory was so incredibly dull to me. Also, I did about equal amounts of arts courses as science/maths in high school and I found myself really missing maths and the sciences. Bioanth is a nice balance between the arts and sciences, and that really made it perfect for me.