About Us
The Department of Language & Cultural Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology is a multi-disciplinary unit which offers a variety of programs through which students gain new insights into other cultures; explore biological, physical, and social evolution; advance their understanding of the modem social structures, its institutions, and interactions; and develop the language skills necessary for participation and leadership in the global community.
ANTHROPOLOGY
Anthropology is the study of human diversity. It explores the meaning of being human - from the study of culture and social relations, to human biology and physical evolution, to language, to music and art and to vestiges of human habitation. Anthropology addresses fascinating questions such as how peoples' behavior changes over time, how and why people from distant parts of the world and dissimilar cultures are in many ways similar, how the human species has evolved over millions of years, and how individuals understand and operate successfully in distinct cultural settings. Anthropology includes four sub-fields: cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics.
The Anthropology Program at EKU offers exposure to all of these sub-fields, with the opportunity to specialize, if so desired. Two great reasons to study anthropology include: 1) study topics are intellectually exciting; and 2) Anthropology prepares students for excellent jobs and opens doors to various career paths. Anthropological study provides training particularly well-suited to the 21" century. Anthropology approaches human questions from historical, biological, and cultural perspectives. As a result, career opportunities exist in academic, corporate, nonprofit and government settings.
Many anthropologists with bachelor's degrees work for contract archaeology firms at archaeological sites, in physical anthropology laboratories, and in museums in a wide range of areas. International health organizations and development banks employ anthropologists to help design and implement a wide variety of programs. Governmental organizations use anthropologists in planning, research, and managerial capacities. Forensic anthropologists find work in university and museum settings along with police departments to help identify mysterious or unknown remains.
Anthropology is a career that embraces people of all kinds. It is a discipline that thrives with heterogeneity -in people, ideas, and research methods. Anthropologists know the wisdom of listening to multiple voices and linking the work from researchers who bring different backgrounds and apply various approaches to their endeavors.
Language & Cultural Studies
The Language and Cultural Studies programs, including the Spanish Studies program, prepare the students to communicate in a major world language spoken on several continents. Our Spanish teaching degree helps meet the increasingly critical need for foreign language teachers in Kentucky. We offer certificate programs primarily for non-language majors with concentration on basic conversation skills and cultural understanding, currently available in French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.
The department helps students to fulfill General Education requirements in Elements 3, and 6 through course offerings in Chinese (CHN), French (FRE), German (GER), Japanese (JPN), Latin (LAT), Spanish (SPA), and occasionally other languages such as Arabic and upper division Chinese (as FLS courses); through foreign culture and civilization courses (FCC); and also, through the basic sequence of Humanities courses (HUM). AJI our courses, whether in language, literature, culture, or humanities, strive to foster an atmosphere in which students can experience the joy of learning and intellectual fulfilment while developing deeper understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity.
SOCIOLOGY
The field of Sociology emerged as a scientific enterprise focused on a comprehensive understanding of the modem world, its origins, basic components. and central tendencies. As a member of this tradition, the Sociology Program at EKU provides students with an advanced understanding of the modem social structure and its institutions (politics, economics, religion, mass media, the family, labor markets), human group dynamics, social inequalities of class, gender, race, and sexuality, forms of human interaction, and social deviance (crime, juvenile delinquency). Sociologists also study regional issues such as social change in Appalachia and environmental concerns. Sociology faculty are skilled in teaching the theoretical foundations of sociology and methods of social research, while they teach students to think critically.
The broad knowledge base of sociology, combined with basic skills in research methods and analysis, widens students' job opportunities in a rapidly changing economy where specialized jobs often become outdated Students who major in sociology are taught to think critically, communicate effectively, and respond constructively to the challenges and opportunities they will encounter. A major in sociology provides a gateway to many different professions.
Many sociology graduates move into careers in the following areas: social services, social media, data mining and analysis, human relations, Jaw and legal services, policy analysis, teaching, and health fields. Others find employment in management and administrative careers in government agencies as well as in a wide range of private sector firms. Still others work to achieve their goals in less traditional careers such as grassroots activism or private entrepreneurship.
