What does it mean to be a New Zealander and a citizen of the world? What is the importance of ethnic-

ity in the 21st century? How are social networking websites changing human relationships? What makes

people decide to live on the streets? These are the kinds of questions that studies in Cultural Anthropology

and Sociology ask and seek to answer. The anthropological and sociological mind is forever curious about

why people behave in the ways they do; as peoples from different cultures move around the world living,

working and trading together, so the need to understand each other increases. Because of their in-depth and

broad understandings of human social behaviour anthropologists and sociologists are in a position to advise

on many issues that confront countries and companies the world over.

Although they are linked, Cultural Anthropology and

Sociology are distinct disciplines.

WHAT IS CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY? Anthropology literally means ‘the study of human

beings’, while cultures are patterns of human behaviour

and knowledge that every human learns as a member of

a society. Cultural Anthropology focuses on how these

cultural patterns shape our experiences.

Cultural anthropologists seek to answer questions such as:

“Why are human groups and their ways of life so differ-

ent around the world? Why, for example, do many New

Zealanders believe it is disgusting and cruel to eat dog,

while Muslims don’t eat pork and Hindus think cows are

sacred? Why do so many young people in New Zealand

decide to get tattoos while many youths in Papua New

Guinea willingly undergo painful scarifi cation rituals?

Why do such cultural differences develop and how might

we understand them better?”

Students of Cultural Anthropology explore how culture is

expressed in areas such as ritual, symbolism, language,

personality, religion, inequality, gender, family, art and

politics. They compare life in New Zealand to the ways

people live in many different locations around the world.

Understanding how other societies organise their lives

and give meaning to their existence also increases people’s

understanding of their own cultural worlds. Whether

studying the hunting practices of Amazonian tribes or the

politics of global agribusiness, the rituals of Pacifi c chiefs

or the culture of corporate New Zealand, anthropology

students examine what it means to be human today.

Anthropological study provides training that is highly

relevant in the 21st century. Economies are increasingly

global and interdependent; workforces and markets are

becoming more fl uid and diverse. This increases demand

for cultural understanding and communication skills in

many areas of employment and at all levels of manage-

ment and decision-making.

Research processes employed by social scientists to exam-

ine indigenous cultures are now being used to understand

corporate cultures. Companies such as IBM use the fi nd-

ings from anthropology to help their corporate processes

run more smoothly.

Dr Elizabeth Tunstall teaches anthropology at the Univer-

sity of Illinois in Chicago. She says, “Contemporary an-

thropology is no longer primarily concerned with exotic

peoples and dinosaurs. Anthropology is engaged with

issues of the global fl ows of people and goods, human

rights and social justice, global feminism, [design], tech-

nology adoption, the social effects of the environmental

degradation, and local sustainability practices.”

WHAT DO ANTHROPOLOGISTS DO?Anthropologists do anything that involves understand-

ing human social and cultural behaviour. They are

trained observers who collect information about people

by listening and watching what others are doing. They

Issue No 53

Topical coverage of career re lat ed issues brought to you by Victoria Uni ver si ty Ca reer De vel op ment and Em ploy ment.

Areas covered include how degrees and courses re late to em ploy ment op por tu ni ties, to life/work planning, grad u ate destination information and current issues or material relevant to the em ploy ment scene. Your comments and suggestions always welcomed.

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY

©VUW Career Development and Employment

2 CAREER VIEW

often carry out research by living with the people they

study for over a year. They learn their language and

adopt their daily habits, gaining in-depth and fi rsthand

insights into their way of life. This leads them to produce

ethnographies which are detailed texts describing the life

and experiences of a cultural group. Anthropologists also

research the context and think about what has actually as

well as apparently happened, applying various theoreti-

cal models that may explain what they have observed.

They take a holistic view to frame their understanding.

Anthropologists may work in the fi eld – in cities, in rural

areas and in territories distant from their own coun-

try. Many will specialise in a particular area and advise

government, local government, NGOs and corporations.

Health and medicine; business; design; multinational and

multicultural communication; media; marketing; food

and lifestyle; museums and cultural heritage are a few

examples. A PhD and a background of relevant fi eldwork

are required to work as a professional anthropologist.

WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY? Sociology is the study of society and sociologists are

people who try to make sense of the social world – past,

present and future. Society is a phenomenon we are all

creating. The discipline of sociology gives students the

tools with which to take a fresh look at social life. It pro-

vides theoretical frameworks and language with which

to understand, describe and analyse a broad range of

human, social activity. The range of sociological interests

is wide. These include gender, class, ethnicity, families,

social change, health, morality, politics, religion, sport,

work and leisure, technology, cyberspace and many

more. The focus of sociology is the same for every area

of interest: exploring, understanding and explaining

changes in behaviour and social relationships at different

levels.

On one level, Sociology looks at the body and how

people’s ideas about their physical self affect social prac-

tices – for example how people form a sense of identity,

taking into account the effects of gender or class. A

related sub-topic would be the issue of eating disorders,

gender and body image. Other topics may look at parent-

ing, child-raising practices, the incidence of divorce, and

within that the role of fathers, perhaps considering how

social attitudes may determine the relationship of single

fathers to their children. The importance people attach

to ethnicity is also of interest to sociologists. The signifi -

cance of cultural identity has been growing as people

move around the world more freely. People are often

asked which ethnic group they belong to, whether they

are beginning school, enrolling at university, going to

hospital or entering another country.

At another level, Sociology examines how people orga-

nise themselves, creating major social institutions such

as the State. It also examines the dynamics of macro

processes such as population change and globalisation.

WHAT DO SOCIOLOGISTS DO?Sociologists are the people who ask the ‘why’ and ‘how’

questions of the world, and seek to provide answers and

explanations for why the world works differently for

different groups of people. Sociologists are interested in

social groups, their position in society, their experiences,

how they interrelate and the image they have of them-

selves. They are also interested in fi nding out about social

differences between people and explaining why they of-

ten turn into social divisions and perceived inequalities.

In New Zealand there are many ethnic, cultural, age and

class related differences. Sociologists have researched and

theorised about the social differences and inequalities

between Mäori and European, or “pakeha” groups. To do

this they fi nd out about the different views and experi-

ences of people, they observe what people do, as well

as using quantitative data about levels of employment,

income levels, educational attainment, physical and

mental health. They then try to explain why these things

happen.

The process of making sense of data involves forming

ideas or concepts from the detail of a situation. By devel-

oping and applying theories sociologists make sense of

the world they confront. In doing this sociologists can

understand the deeper signifi cance of things and form a

bigger picture within their fi eld of interest. Their fi ndings

and understandings are useful in many areas: race rela-

tions; human rights; healthcare; politics; social services;

local and national government; sport and leisure are a

few.

WHAT SKILLS DO ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY GRADUATES DEVELOP?Cultural Anthropology and Sociology provide students

with a broad range of skills, important in today’s world.

At a general level, these include critical and creative

thinking, research, writing and analysis, and the effective

communication of ideas.

Communication

The ability to communicate verbally and non-verbally

with empathy, respect and understanding is honed

through degree studies that have people as the main

CAREER VIEW 3

©VUW Career Development and Employment©VUW Career Development and Employment

focus. Undergraduate study of Cultural Anthropology

and Sociology also enhances students’ ability to read and

write well, to understand and communicate complex

ideas and information through written work and oral

presentations.

Critical thinking and conceptual skills

As students develop research skills they learn to use dif-

ferent conceptual frameworks, to think in the abstract,

and to analyse and interpret the form and content of

live and written information. In turn they may question,

evaluate and compare the various frameworks they use.

In writing an argument to support their views students

also learn to critically evaluate and edit their own work.

Creativity

The ability to make connections and arrive at insights is

part of the creative process of social research. Through

assignment and project work students also learn to for-

mulate new questions and hypotheses; some may come

up with innovative methods and apply theory in original

ways.

Multi-disciplinary approach

The ability to see the big picture and the connections

between the many different facets of human activity is a

skill graduates develop as they examine cultures and soci-

eties through the lens of social science. This skill enables

graduates to get alongside and work with people from

different disciplines in a range of settings.

Research

Sociology and Anthropology students do extensive re-

search as part of their studies using a range of approach-

es. For example they may gather descriptive data through

participant observation, interviews, ethnographic study,

analysis of documents or the use of surveys. The process

of asking questions, gathering information (facts and

concepts) and evaluating material is a highly transferable

skill sought by many employers. Research roles often

require the ability to do literature searches. A literature

search is a detailed, methodical search to fi nd journal

articles, books and websites on a specifi c topic. Students

acquire this skill through assignment and project work.

CAREERS FOR CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY MAJORSGraduates enter a wide variety of careers. Majoring

in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology, possibly in

conjunction with other majors, is a valuable basis for

planning a career in the social sciences, psychology, law,

social work, the health professions, business and others.

The holistic knowledge and skills concerning people and

cultures acquired during these degrees are highly transfer-

able and increasingly sought by employers. Conjoint or

postgraduate degrees give graduates additional advantage.

Employment opportunities for academic anthropolo-

gists and sociologists in New Zealand are small; graduates

seeking an academic career may need to consider employ-

ment overseas.

Career options:

Public sector research and policy analysis; architecture;

museum curating; cultural heritage management; design;

local and international journalism; documentary fi lm-

making; consumer research and advertising; mediation

and dispute resolution; immigration and refugee services;

travel and tourism work; international marketing; cross-

cultural relations consultancy; public relations; human

resources/industrial relations; urban planning; inter-

national development; NGO and humanitarian work;

foreign service; public health; community work; law

enforcement; probation work; English language teaching

abroad; local government administration; social work;

social science research; government; law.

WHERE DO ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY GRADUATES WORK?Across both public and private sectors employment op-

tions are diverse and exciting. In many fi elds of work,

from entry-level positions through to senior levels of

management, the ability to understand and work with

others is essential, along with well developed commu-

nication and thinking skills. Technical expertise is not

always the main criterion for employment, but a conjoint

degree or double major that includes other work related

content such as law or management can be an advantage.

Employers always consider the strength of candidates’

transferable skills, their university grades and how they

would 'fi t' into their team and organisational culture.

Public Sector

Government departments, ministries and government

agencies employ graduates to entry-level positions such

as policy analyst, policy advisor, ministerial writer, ad-

ministration offi cer/assistant, communications offi cer/ad-

visor, researcher, research assistant and library assistant.

Some ministries have graduate development programmes,

depending on their recruitment needs and the economic

climate. The Ministries of Education, Social Develop-

ment, Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Internal Affairs are

large ministries that need graduates with excellent ge-

neric skills. Some government departments such as New

©VUW Career Development and Employment

4 CAREER VIEW

Zealand’s International Aid and Development Agency

(NZAID) recruit people with postgraduate degrees. NZAID

recruits people with several years experience in the fi eld

who also have a postgraduate degree in areas such as

development studies or other related subjects.

Typically, a graduate entry-level position may require ex-

cellent, proven analytical skills; high-level oral and writ-

ten communication skills; strong people skills; self-confi -

dence and the ability to relate to and work with a diverse

range of others; a good postgraduate degree: honours

degree or higher; or a conjoint degree including either

law, economics or science; an interest in issues pertaining

to the work of the particular ministry. (Based on material

from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website.)

Policy analysts and researchers need to be strong analyt-

ical thinkers, able to carry out detailed, thorough research

using quantitative and qualitative methodologies. They

must be able to see the big picture, think imaginatively

and across disciplines, consider trends and possibilities in

the longer term as well as gain a detailed understanding

of a particular fi eld. Excellent written and verbal commu-

nication skills are essential.

Local Government

Local government – councils and regional councils –

manage a very wide range of services for the community.

Graduates with special interests may fi nd employment

in areas such as: housing, disability, sport and recreation,

human resources, public health (eg. homelessness, men-

tal health, child health and safety, nutrition and physical

activity), event management, emergency management,

health and safety, community centres, holiday pro-

grammes, urban design and planning and others.

NGOs

A non-governmental organisation (NGO) is any non-

profi t, voluntary citizens’ group, which is organised on a

local, national or international level. Task-oriented and

driven by people with a common interest, NGOs perform

a variety of service and humanitarian functions, bring

citizen concerns to Governments, advocate and monitor

policies, and encourage political participation through

provision of information. Some are organised around

specifi c issues, such as human rights, environment or

health. They provide analysis and expertise, serve as early

warning mechanisms, and help monitor and implement

international agreements.

NGOs may also have a relationship with the United

Nations, a large organisation that employs many people

with a social science background. NGOs such as Red

Cross, Amnesty International, Council for International

Development, Oxfam, World Vision and local com-

munity organisations carry out humanitarian work that

often fi ts well with the values and training of anthro-

pology and sociology graduates. Other NGOs such as

Presbyterian Support Services, Anglican Care, Salvation

Army and Barnardos provide services to specifi c groups

in the population - children, elderly and families. They

may do research around improving service provision and

good practice in relation to their clientele in particular

regions. In New Zealand the staff of NGOs is often small.

The work may involve research, surveys, advocacy, fund

raising, giving policy advice to government, devising

programmes and events, communications and publicity,

and general administration. Doing voluntary work is a

way to get to know the work of an NGO and may lead to

paid work.

Education Sector

Teaching Social Studies and other related subjects in sec-

ondary schools is a rewarding career for graduates with a

passion for interacting with young people. Social Studies

allows students to investigate diverse cultures, political

and religious systems. Students may do a conjoint degree

with a Bachelor of Teaching and double major or a one-

year Graduate Diploma of Teaching following graduation

with a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Educational research

and policy are other options.

Teaching at university level usually requires a PhD.

Graduates can advance their research and teaching skills

by undertaking a Master’s degree or PhD and may have

the opportunity to tutor undergraduate students. Many

students also go overseas to study. Other roles in tertiary

institutions include academic advisors, career consul-

tants, trainers or administrators.

Journalism

Skills in written and oral communication, social re-

search, qualitative interviewing and fi eldwork provide

an excellent base for journalism work. Anthropology

and sociology graduates intending to work as permanent

editorial staff (reporters, sub-editors, editors) in the media

usually require a Diploma in Journalism. It is possible to

write freelance for niche publications without an industry

qualifi cation.

Human Resources

Human resource professionals work in large public or

private sector organisations. They may work with a con-

sultancy or run their own business. A human resources

offi cer develops, advises on and implements policies con-

cerning the effective use of personnel within an organisa-

tion. Typical roles are: human resource advisor/manager,

©VUW Career Development and Employment©VUW Career Development and Employment

recruitment coordinator and training offi cer. Human

resource practitioners often have additional qualifi ca-

tions in business management, fi nance, human resources,

organisational psychology and other related fi elds.

Business/Financial Sector/Law

Banks, insurance companies, state-owned enterprises, and

companies from large multi-nationals to medium and

small businesses employ graduates with diverse majors.

Employers recognise that the ability to communicate well

with clients and customers is vital to success in business.

A conjoint degree in subjects such as law or marketing

opens the fi eld even wider. The following are typical role

titles: administration offi cer, business analyst, graduate

management trainee, marketing assistant, communica-

tions advisor, customer services offi cer and information

offi cer. In law fi rms graduates who have a combined

degree in arts and law may be practising solicitors or law

librarians. A degree combining Anthropology or Sociol-

ogy with marketing would be very useful in marketing,

public relations or advertising.

Museums and Art Galleries

Depending on their size, museums and art galleries

employ staff in research, collection management, ad-

ministration, education, exhibition design and display,

publicity and communications. Anthropology graduates

may do research and work with collections and provide

written material for exhibitions. A background in Anthro-

pology is also valuable when mediating relationships be-

tween different cultural groups who contribute artefacts

and cultural knowledge to collections.

Public Relations

The process by which organisations establish and

maintain goodwill and understanding with stakehold-

ers requires people with excellent written and verbal

communication and interpersonal skills. Industry specifi c

qualifi cations are an advantage. Public Relations seeks to

manage public opinion by transmitting positive informa-

tion to those the organisation wants to infl uence. The

related function of communications is responsible for

promoting an organisation’s image and reputation to the

public, as well as informing staff and clients about what

is happening within the organisation. This may involve

writing web content for Intranet or public websites as

well as material for pamphlets, articles, annual reports,

media releases and so on. At higher levels advisors will

advise on communications policy and strategy. Entry-

level positions such as communications advisor/offi cer

may require additional qualifi cations such as media stud-

ies or journalism.

GRADUATE PROFILESBen Steele

Advisor, PoliticalNew Zealand Permanent Mission to the United Nations

When I fi nished high school

I was keen to see some of the

world before starting univer-

sity. New Zealand is a small

country and although I love

the place I thought it impor-

tant to see what else was out

there. So for the next six months I travelled overland from

Mongolia to India – camping in the Gobi Desert, sleeping on

the Great Wall, standing on the toe of a 70-metre-high Bud-

dha, trekking in the Himalayas, getting lost in the Bombay

slums. It was this travel, these experiences that led me to

anthropology.

Anthropology is, of course, about people – specifi cally, dif-

ferences and similarities between people. Because it has hu-

manity at the centre of its focus, anthropology illuminates

countless other disciplines. It is wide enough to encompass

political science, economics and international relations,

among others. But rather than focusing on just one, anthro-

pology offers a holistic perspective – it lets you see how all

are related and connected.

After completing a BA with Honours in Anthropology and

English Literature, I worked at the Offi ce of Treaty Settle-

ments where I helped resolve historical Treaty grievances on

behalf of the New Zealand Government. I then won a Ful-

bright Scholarship and moved to New York City to complete

a Master’s Degree in Anthropology at Columbia University.

Now I work at the New Zealand Permanent Mission to the

United Nations in New York where I cover the work of the

UN Security Council, general peace and security issues such

as the Middle East, Afghanistan and Iran, and provide policy

advice to the New Zealand Government. In this role I have

been part of the frontline of politics: ambassadors debating

with vehemence, world leaders like Obama and Netanyahu

orating from the lectern, negotiations on resolutions with

colleagues from around the world. I have been at coalface

of crises like the wars in Georgia and Gaza and I get to deal

daily with international political issues.

Although a background in International Relations or Politi-

cal Science would be more natural for my current vocation,

the beauty of anthropology is its unique holistic lens. In

international politics, like economics and media, most issues

are linked to most other issues. Anthropology has given me

the skills to see the links and convergences - a perspective

that is essential in this interconnected and interdependent

world.

CAREER VIEW 5

©VUW Career Development and Employment

6 CAREER VIEW

Kate Yesberg

Human Rights and Development Work

Tena koutou! My name is

Kate Yesberg. I have recently

fi nished a BA in Anthropol-

ogy, and am soon to complete

an LLB (Hons). Anthropology

is the study of human beings

– our cultures, preferences,

experiences and interactions.

The fi rst anthropology text I

read was about the struggle of Puerto Rican migrants in

New York’s underground economy – a piercing, sensitive

and genuinely affecting book which sparked my inter-

est in power relations, inequality and social justice. This

interest has led me, as it has grown, on some excellent

adventures.

The Anthropology programme fosters inquisitiveness,

refl ection and a pro-active commitment to positive social

change. The interdisciplinary, holistic nature of anthro-

pology is stimulating, fl exible and intellectually reward-

ing. I was introduced to ideas which have changed the

way I see and understand the social world. Through an-

thropology I have become more aware and critical of my

own humanity, learning how to relate theoretical ideas to

my own experiences in New Zealand and abroad.

In 2008 I took time out from studying to explore human

rights and development work in Southeast Asia. Initially

I volunteered with an NGO in Cambodia, where human

rights violations and land grabbing are crippling the ur-

ban and rural poor. While nothing really prepares you for

that kind of hardship, anthropology fosters the percep-

tions that can help make sense of social and cultural sys-

tems in order to approach such problems constructively.

From Cambodia I moved on to an internship at the UN

Offi ce of Recovery Coordination in Aceh, Indonesia. Aceh

is recovering from the dual tragedies of natural disaster

and war. Incredible amounts of aid money have poured

into the province and Aceh is now at the forefront of

development. I was working primarily under the UN’s

post-confl ict advisor, tasked with ensuring that develop-

ment in the province is ‘confl ict sensitive’ – that it works

to entrench peace, rather than exacerbate old divides.

It gave me great insight into how cultures and communi-

ties rebuild and develop after such intense loss. How do

you rebuild social and political systems after such massive

loss of life? How do you bring together former enemies to

implement new governance arrangements that redistrib-

ute newly acquired wealth? How do you achieve justice

and reconciliation without sparking political backlash?

More and more, international development agencies

are hiring and valuing anthropologists for their hands-

on, holistic approach to problem solving because their

cultural insights are intrinsic to the success or failure of

development projects.

For me, anthropology is a perspective which allows us to

value and understand human experience at individual,

family, community, national and international levels. My

intention on fi nishing University is to work within the

New Zealand justice system for a time, before embarking

upon further socio-legal postgraduate study in the United

States.

My advice is to stick with the ideas that grab you, be dar-

ing, and see where it leads.

Anna Gruner

Research AnalystIMSED ResearchDepartment of Labour

I’m not sure if it has anything

to do with moving to New

Zealand from Germany as a

child but I have always been

interested in other cultures

and societies. In that way I

guess that Anthropology is

the obvious choice – the only

problem was that I had never heard of it when I started

university. Luckily when I was enrolling to study English

and Sociology someone suggested I take Anthropology

to fi ll in my timetable. I remember the fi rst lectures well

– they were a bit of a revelation. Was using an ATM really

cultural? By looking at how other people see the world

and how they do things made me look at my own life in

a completely new way. I loved it!

Throughout my studies I enjoyed the ongoing challenge

that Anthropology provided. It taught me to be enquiring

and critical – suddenly the most mundane daily activities

became incredibly interesting by looking at them from an

anthropological perspective. Anthropology also gave me

a real appreciation of the fact that while cultures around

the world may be incredibly different, there are still cer-

tain aspects that make us all very much the same. It was a

real lesson in differences and similarities, in analysis and

understanding.

CAREER VIEW 7

©VUW Career Development and Employment

In my ongoing fascination with my own culture and

everyday life, I decided to look at people’s home gardens

for my Master’s. In a sense the topic probably doesn’t

matter too much, but doing it taught me a lot about re-

search methods, analysis and writing. These are the very

skills that really matter for my work today – both in my

research at the Department of Labour (IMSED – Interna-

tional Migration Settlement & Employment Dynamics)

looking at the long-term settlement of former refugees

in New Zealand and in my teaching of a social research

methods paper at the Open Polytechnic. Doing social

research is a perfect way to keep fi nding out more about

what people do, how they see the world and what mat-

ters to them. Just as when I started my studies, I still love

learning about people. For anyone who is interested in

other cultures, as well as their own, I would recommend

Anthropology.

Sam Stacey

FreelanceTelevision Production

From Charismatic Cult Leaders

to Global Cities and the rise of

Facebook, my studies in Soci-

ology scoped an enormously

broad range of topics and

shed new light on the ways

in which we ‘think’ about

society.

I always had a particular interest in the arts, drama and

media while growing up. After being accepted into drama

school I decided that I’d rather pursue a career in television

and set out to get a degree ‘under my belt’. I didn’t commit

to a major at the start and instead took a variety of courses

from a wide range of disciplines. In my fi rst year I took pa-

pers in Social Policy, Media Studies, Gender and Women’s

Studies, Marketing, Sociology and Religious Studies. I’ve al-

ways been interested in social interaction and the ways in

which we co-exist in society. Without going down a scien-

tifi c or medical path, I wanted to study these from a social

perspective and explore the complex processes of human

relationships that we live out seamlessly. Being a creative

thinker, sociology allowed me to engage with topics of my

own interest and also work into my studies my interest in

the media to examine how such forms of communication

are utilised in contemporary social life.

University life was amazing and the additional opportuni-

ties on offer have also helped me build up my CV. While

studying I travelled as a Student Representative with the

University to speak at promotional events about my expe-

riences at university and I also worked as a sociology PASS

study group leader in my fi nal year.

After completing my degree I set out to use my university

skills in the media industry. In my current job in television

production I use sociology as a sort of tool belt that follows

me wherever I go. Understanding people, our daily interac-

tions and the societies we live in plays a signifi cant role in

understanding our media industry and the daily habitual

practices of watching television.

Having a deeper understanding of social existence is

thought-provoking and insightful. For me personally I

think university should be a time of widening horizons

and exploring a variety of academic disciplines rather than

a sure-set career-specifi c education. Sociology provided

me with a framework of knowledge that will undeniably

continue to play a large role in my career.

Phot

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Soc

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Uni

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ity

©VUW Career Development and Employment

8 CAREER VIEW

The School of Social and Cultural Studies in particular Dr Allison Kirkman, Head of School, Prof Brigitte Bonisch-Brednich, Programme Director - Cultural Anthropology and Carol Hogan, School Manager; graduates Anna Gruner, Sam Stacey, Ben Steele and Kate Yesberg; and all those people who contributed to this publication.

Career View is published by Career Development and EmploymentVictoria University of Wellington, Te Whare Wänanga o te Üpoko o te Ika a MäuiPO Box 600, Wellington, Tel: 64-4-463-5390 or 64-4-463-5393, Fax 64-4-463 5252www.victoria.ac.nz/careers

April 2010ISSN 1172-4315

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY AT VICTORIACultural Anthropology and Sociology are part of the

School of Social and Cultural Studies in the Faculty of

Humanities and Social Sciences. Other subjects taught in

this School include Criminology and Social Policy. The

School has an overall focus on the analysis of human

behaviour within society. It is the patterning of such

behaviour and how we understand and organise our lives

as social beings that you will learn more about. Many

of the concepts and research methods used in our core

programmes are ‘portable’, in the sense that they can be

applied in more than one area, and this provides a focus

for integration within the School.

We are interested in critical social theory, as are other

disciplines, but what you can expect to learn from us are

current analyses of how societies and cultures are formed,

how they are governed, how they break down and how we

might envisage new and viable future social and cultural

systems.

The School actively develops and monitors a culture of

research and scholarship that maintains its established

disciplinary strengths. We give appropriate attention to

research and scholarship by Mäori and about Mäori within

the fi elds of our competence, and actively refl ect in our

varied curricula consideration of the social, political and

policy aspects inherent in scholarly examination of the

contemporary signifi cance of the Treaty of Waitangi.

To ensure that you meet your future academic and em-

ployment aspirations, it is important to plan your degree

programme carefully. This may mean completing courses

in other subjects and possibly a second major.

To complete a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology

you might like to consider structuring your course of study

so that your Cultural Anthropology courses are comple-

mented with other social science courses that further your

areas of interest. Sociology and Human Geography are

closely related disciplines to Cultural Anthropology and

anthropological perspectives are included in some Mäori

Studies, Religious Studies, Pacifi c Studies and Asian Stud-

ies courses. Courses in Social Policy and Criminology can

also be useful complements to a Cultural Anthropology

major.

Cultural Anthropology staff research interests include:

culture and migration; the cultural dimensions of in-

equality, power and resistance; the cultural organisation

of complex societies; Pacifi c cultures; culture and ethnic-

ity; and culture and architecture.

Sociology can effectively combine with other social

science subjects such as Cultural Anthropology, Social

Policy, Economics, Geography, Political Science and

Psychology. Very useful combinations can also be made

with Criminology, Education, History, Media Studies,

Philosophy and Religious Studies. Computer Science,

Information Technology and Mathematics are always

useful subjects for students with an interest in social data

analysis and research. Sociology can also provide an ef-

fective comparative focus for those who are interested in

languages and literature. Sociology also has an affi nity

with many aspects of Law and Commerce, and those

interested in the social context of legal and business insti-

tutions will fi nd it of interest.

Sociology staff research interests include: nationalism;

multi-culturism and bi-culturism; medical sociology;

gender, sexuality and health; bioethics; ageing; death

and dying; hegemony and race relations in New Zealand;

classical and contemporary political and social theory;

the history of ideas, post-Marxism; political sociology;

the sociology of development and globalisation; cultural

studies; embodiment; everyday life; and humour.

Cultural Anthropology and Sociology can also be pur-

sued at the postgraduate level. This includes: Graduate

Diploma in Arts (GradDipArts); Bachelor of Arts with

Honours (BA(Hons)); Master of Arts (MA); and Doctor of

Philosophy (PhD).

Special thanks to: