Anthropology- A cultural Study, Cultural Anthropology, Job Opportunities of Anthropology, Jobs in Anthropology , Study of Anthropology

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Anthropology- A cultural Study

Anthropology, a word coined by Aristotle is a science that deals with human behavior and human evolution. The subject thus gives an insight into the history of one's own kind. There are two major branches of anthropology: physical and cultural. Physical anthropology deals with origin of life, man and the universe. It tries to identify why human beings differ biologically and genetically. Cultural anthropology concentrates on human behavior, differences in marriage patterns, dressing, food, religion, culture and traditions etc.

Skill sets
The subject requires understanding and an open mind. One must be curious to know all aspects of various and differing culture, religions, traditions, mythology etc. Important requirements include deep sense of observation, extensive reading and skillful interaction with people from all walks of life. Field work in remote areas is also imperative and anthropologists should be enthusiastic about the events taking place in the society and finding reasons for the same.

Eligibility
HBA and BSC graduates (preferably with biological sciences or humanities specializations) are eligible for further studies and honing of skills in the field. B.Com graduates can also apply but they would have to give a written test and interview to test their aptitude in the field.

Specialization
You need to have a minimum of 55% in MA or MSC. Thereafter you make take the National Entrance Test (NET) or State Entrance Test (SET). Having successfully qualified the test, you become eligible to work as degree college professor of Anthropology. You can also go into research field and work as Junior Research Fellow (JRF), Senior Research fellow (SRF) as also as Research Associate (RA) in various fields and branches of the subject.

Job Opportunities
With diverse cultural and linguistic patterns, the field offers good opportunities to students. One can find jobs in areas like teaching, research and counseling. There are many opportunities in government sector as well such as Anthropological Survey of India, Census Department, State Tribal Research and Training Institute, Institute of Population Studies, National Aids Research Institute, Forensic laboratories, Urban Development and Planning Centers. Besides various NGOs and medical research institutions also seek qualified anthropologists to cater to the needs of tribal and rural areas.

Investments and Returns
A course in the subject will set you back by almost Rs. 5-6000 per annum. In teaching field, your starting monthly take home would be around 12000. As a counselor, your starting project can fetch you Rs. 6000-7000 which can go up very soon based on experience and knowledge. Decent grants are also offered for research assistance in the field.