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

Alvaro Jarrin, associate professor of anthropology. Photo by Austin Bosworth
Is The Weeknd’s Faux Plastic Surgery Transformation a Statement or a Publicity Stunt? Anthropology Professor Is on the Case
Canadian singer Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known as The Weeknd, has been trending on social media in the past few weeks after debuting a faux plastic surgery face in his latest music video. But was he out for shock value or …
Alvaro Jarrin, associate professor of anthropology. Photo by Avanell Brock
Generation Botox: Should the Right To Beauty Be a Basic Human Right? Anthropology Professor Offers Insight
The realm of plastic surgery is a complex territory, with some claiming that it’s a form of self-exploitation and others insisting that it can be an empowering tool for young women.  Alvaro Jarrin, associate professor of anthropology at the College …
Handheld Worcester
‘Handheld Worcester’ Initiative Encourages Virtual Community Building and Civic Engagement in the City
Holy Cross is finding creative ways to help students interact with and feel like a part of the Worcester community in dispersion during the pandemic, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports in a recent article.  Titled “Handheld Worcester,” the initiative …