What Is Anthropology?

Anthropology is the study of humankind in all its aspects. From its start, anthropology has been a global field that asks questions about the nature of being human, explores the vast diversity of human cultures and reveals the secrets of complex social relationships. Anthropology offers a big picture of the world and responds to the major challenges confronting humankind across place and time.   

The study of anthropology is for students who are curious about who they are, where they came from and why people do the things they do. With anthropology, students get to explore the cultures and lifeways of people all over the world.

Anthropology at John Jay College offers opportunity for learning about the world in all its beautiful complexity, and for gaining on-the-ground fieldwork experience. For a taste of Anthropology@johnjaycollege, we invite you to watch the following short film done by our students:

Fieldwork in Manhattan: Gentrification in New York, a video ethnography

Contact: Barbara Cassidy, Departmental Administrator - Tel. (212) 237-8286 Email: bcassidy@jjay.cuny.edu