Sociology and Anthropology

Sociology: Major 
Anthropology: Major, Minor

The sociology and anthropology department will challenge you to critically examine continuing and urgent issues of inequality and social marginalization, focusing on complex human interactions in diverse cultures within a globalized world. 

You will learn to analyze structures of power and hierarchy, draw connections between your personal experiences and larger social and historical processes, as well as question preconceived ideas about the nature of society and representation of cultures around the world. Our graduates enter a wide variety of occupations well prepared with sharp analytical skills and as knowledgeable and engaged citizens.

The department combines a humanistic concern for the quality and diversity of human life with a commitment to the empirical analysis of culture and society. The sociology curriculum will give you qualitative and quantitative research skills to tackle pressing 21st century issues. Courses draw attention to history, culture, and social structure and their effects on people’s lives. The anthropology curriculum focuses on human cultural experiences around the world, with an emphasis on the contemporary challenges wrought by globalization. Courses often highlight the geographical areas in which faculty work (Latin America, Asia, and Africa) and focus on a diverse range of topics.

Sociology and Anthropology Department Statement on Black Lives Matter: Racial Justice and Action

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Program Highlights

Classes in sociology and anthropology give students the analytical tools to apply to complex issues that face us in the 21st century, including:

  • Global structures of inequality
  • Race and ethnicity
  • Gender and sexuality
  • Power and class
  • Religion
  • Environment
  • Media and popular culture
  • Health, medicine, and the body
  • Social movements
  • Family and kinship
  • Work and employment
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Opportunities

From internships to study abroad to independent research, opportunities abound for sociology and anthropology students.

Students in a garden
In the Community

Many department courses engage students in community-based learning, where academic learning and civic engagement meet.

Alumni in Rehm Library
Careers

Graduates apply their skills in many careers, including business, health, education, marketing, and non-profits.

Sociology and Anthropology News

Members of MOCA stand in a group
Black Student-Athletes Take Leadership Role in Creating Shared Community
Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick spent the 2017 and 2018 football seasons out of work. And even if he never takes another snap, he leaves quite a legacy. Kaepernick’s influence was on display at January’s Black Student-Athlete Summit (BSAS) in …
Students sit around a large table while one stands at a blackboard at the front of the room
No Matter the Path, Holy Cross Students Thrive
College can often feel like a linear journey — take a few classes, decide on a major, join a club or two, fulfill your requirements and graduate in four years. For many, though, that path is much less precise. Interested …
Elizabeth Landis, Matthew Gamber, Selina Gallo-Cruz, Alvaro Jarrin, Geoffrey Findlay, Daniel DiCenso, Shannon Stock, Ji Hao, and Denis Kennedy stand together in front of a fountain
Ten Faculty Members Receive Tenure in 2019
From researching fruit flies to reimagining the first commercially successful color film, College of the Holy Cross faculty members are making massive contributions to their fields — and to their classrooms. Hear a bit more from the 10 newly tenured …