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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Holy Cross Hires 13 New Faculty Members for 2013-14 Academic Year
The Office of the Dean at the College of the Holy Cross announces the hiring of 13 new faculty members— one endowed professor, 10 tenure-track positions and two postdoctoral teaching fellows—for the 2013-14 academic year. They are: Faisal Baluch (Charles …
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Students to Showcase Their Accomplishments at 20th Annual Summer Research Symposium
A total of 107 Holy Cross students who conducted research during the summer will present their work in poster form at the 20th annual Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium on Sept. 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Hogan Campus …
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Holy Cross Produces Record Number of Fulbright Scholars
Fourteen recent graduates from the College of the Holy Cross have been awarded Fulbright grants to work and teach abroad during the 2013-14 academic year. This marks a record high number of Fulbrights awarded in a single year for the …