Anthropology

Anthropology in general is the study of humans or human beings. The term Anthropology was derived from the Greek word anthropos which means human. Through studying biological organism such as our closest relatives, we can learn human beings. Also, we can study other members of the primate orders like monkeys, apes and prosimians. We can also get to know humans by studying related functions, languages, evolutions, society, and cultures.

In the United States, anthropology is subdivided into four subfields or areas of investigations biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, cultural anthropology and archaeology. Biological anthropology is the study of human biology within the framework of evolution and with an emphasis on the interaction between biology and cultures. Linguistic anthropology on the other hand deals with human speech and language, which includes the origins of language in general. The third subfield which is cultural anthropology studies all aspects of human behavior while the last subfield archaeology studies the earlier cultures and life ways by anthropologists whose specialization includes scientific recovery, analysis, and interpretation of the material remains of past societies.
There are three possible careers in physical anthropology. First is to work as a physical anthropologist in a museum. Museums of natural history, anthropology, archaeology, and science and technology offer employment opportunities for physical anthropologists. Another possible career would be to work as a physical anthropologist in the zoo. Zoological parks and garden provide wide career opportunities in the fields of collective management and captive breeding programs for endangered species. The last career option would be to work as a forensic anthropologist who makes good use of hisher knowledge of osteology and anatomy in making forensic determinations and identifications that involves human remains.

If I were to choose a career in physical anthropology, I will opt for the forensic anthropology profession. The preparation for this career is very interesting as it typically involves graduate training in anatomy, skeletal biology, archaeological field methods, legal evidence, pathology, and forensic science. My major is psychology but I really want to learn and get to know more about criminal psychology. Forensic anthropology and criminal psychology differs such that forensic anthropologist analyzes and identifies human remains while criminal psychologist focuses more on humans mind than human remains. However, I deem that they have similarities as both involve working with coroners, police and other people in identifying and analyzing humans. Therefore, I strongly believe that forensic anthropologist is a very appealing career if one wants to get to know humans better.