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

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Students Find Alumni and Experience Through Washington, D.C. and New York Semester Programs
The memorabilia on the 44th floor of the News Corp. Building — Emmy statues, the red and black costume of Marvel Comics character Deadpool, even a life-sized stuffed dog in a full body cast (a prop from the film “There’s …
Melissa Weiner, assistant professor of sociology, delivers remarks in a packed Rehm Library during a community learn-in on Dec. 11.
Holy Cross Professor on Zwarte Piet, Controversial Netherlands Holiday Tradition
In the Netherlands, Zwarte Piet, or “Black Pete,” has become a point of heated debate as holiday traditions are reexamined for racist undertones. Presented in tandem with Sinterklaas, the Dutch Santa Claus, Zwarte Piet is a common figure for Dutch …
Katie Bowles '18 overlooks the Poas Volcano in Costa Rica while studying abroad. Bowles will be serving in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica for the next two years.
For and With Others: Holy Cross Students Choose the Peace Corps for Post-Grad
Many students come to College of the Holy Cross wanting to make a difference in the world. Four graduating seniors — Katie Bowles, Marie Therese Kane, Clare Orie, and Colleen Brady — are leaving the Hill ready to do just …