Cultural Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology is the study of human societies and cultures.
Cultural anthropologists describe, analyze, interpret, and explain
social and cultural similarities and differences around the world.
Cultural anthropology is a broad field that includes the study
of religion, language,
folklore and mythology, art and creativity, kinship and other social
relations, the ways in which people accumulate and wield wealth
and power, the ways in which they formulate complex and multiple
identities, ethnic or racialized conflict, cultural change, and
more.
Cultural anthropologists may study cultural life far from home
or in their own back yard. Wherever they work, in-depth fieldwork
is the hallmark of cultural anthropology. Anthropologists live
among the people they study, learn their languages, and share their
everyday lives. This provides anthropologists with specialized
knowledge which they can use to compare human societies and to
explore the nature of human cultural diversity.
The cultural anthropology program at CSULA offers undergraduate
and graduate students the flexibility to develop an individually-tailored
program of study, to explore their individual interests, and to
develop a broad range of research skills.
Applied Anthropology
Applied Anthropology is the application of the knowledge gained
from anthropological research to address contemporary social
problems. Many students choose fields in applied anthropology,
including working in nonprofit agencies at home and abroad, working
in economic development, conflict resolution, human rights, health,
and education. The Department of Anthropology at CSULA actively
fosters opportunities for our students to learn about and engage
in applied anthropology.
Linguistic Anthropology
Linguistic anthropology focuses on the study of language. When
studying language, anthropologists look at the structure of specific
languages, often to figure out the grammar of spoken non-standardized
languages. Linguists focus on how native speakers of languages
actually use the language, as opposed to hard fastened rules
as to how they should be used. Great emphasis is placed on linguistic
variation due to age, gender, region of origin, and cultural
identity. Language usage is often a badge of identity, particularly
in situations where multiple dialects of a single language or
multiple languages are used.
Sociolinguistics is a broad field that examines social relations
as they are expressed through language. Geographic differences,
hierarchies of rank and class, as well as cultural identities are
reflected and expressed through language. In fact there is a dynamic
interplay between language and social structure. Language perpetuates
as well as expresses the complex relations between people, yet
it is also one of the cultural arenas where social relations are
negotiated and transformed. Relations of power are often negotiated
and reproduced through language.
Ethnolinguistics focuses on a comparative use of language in its
creative aspects, such as songs, poetry, ritual, and religion.
Media Anthropology
The landscape of communicative practices and technologies is growing
by leaps and bounds in the contemporary world, and the anthropological
gaze is also shifting and expanding to include these important
social changes. Media Anthropology at CSULA includes Visual Anthropology,
as well as several other foci, some of which are just emerging.
These foci include the role of mass media in societies; the Internet
as a significant form of communicative technology and practice,
and as an emergent site of community and subject formation; the
relationship between public spheres, democracy and inequalities;
and the politics and
technologies of representation and cultural production. Opening
Winter Quarter 2006, our new media lab will feature Final Cut Pro,
Motion, Photoshop, Flash and other media programs.
Urban Anthropology in Los Angeles and Beyond
The cultural anthropology program at CSULA seeks to promote a broader
appreciation and understanding of ethnic diversity in Southern
California and around the world. The Los Angeles area is one
of the most culturally diverse regions in the country, and we
work to engage our students in local and regional research on
contemporary social issues. We offer fieldtrips to explore ethnic
and cultural diversity in Los Angeles and provide opportunities
for our students to work with community organizations and do
fieldwork.
Many of our students also do fieldwork abroad. The Department
of Anthropology encourages students to do original research and
to publish the results of that research at professional meetings
and in professional
journals. If you are interested in learning more about the program
in cultural anthropology at CSULA, please contact the Department
of Anthropology.
For more information about the program and the specific course
offerings in the Department of Anthropology, click on one of the
following links: "Undergraduate
Program," "Graduate
Program," and "General
Catalog". Then contact:
Department of Anthropology
California State University, Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles CA 90803
(323) 343-2440
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