Anthropology at Bates

Visit the full Anthropology site

Anthropologists investigate cultural variation, with particular attention to race, gender, ethnicity, political and social change, and human evolution.

Anthropology is the study of what it means to be human. The Bates Department of Anthropology specializes in sociocultural anthropology, with forays into archaeology and linguistics. We focus on analyses of social challenges and opportunities and train students in systems-level thinking, attuning our students to how meaning and power are created and contested in everyday life. Our anthropology program emphasizes the importance of global study while preparing students to critically examine their own cultures.

Contact Us

Tobie Akerley Gordon
Pettengill Hall
Phone: 207-786-8295 takerley@bates.edu

What You Will Learn

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How to read and think critically and design multifaceted responses to challenging questions

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To collaborate with faculty in ongoing research projects through coursework and/or independent projects

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The purpose of ethnographic fieldwork and how to conduct it

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How to construct and deliver compelling arguments in both oral and written form

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To develop the skills and adaptability to navigate our rapidly changing world

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How to present unique findings to peers and mentors at regional and national conferences

Life After Bates

Our students leave Bates with a strong understanding of and ability to engage in ethnographic work. Graduates are creative and effective oral, visual, and written communicators and skilled observers of social life who are able to connect theory and practice in their lives and careers after Bates.

94%

of 2020-2024 Bates graduates are employed and/or attending graduate school — settled into their next opportunity within 6 months of graduation.

Selected Places of Employment/Service

Watson Fellowship
Amnesty International
Hecker Fink
Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport
Squam Lakes Conservation Society (AmeriCorps)
Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program
Law Office of Lindy Korn PLLC
Rian Immigrant Center
Uncommon Schools
Smartsheet

Selected Graduate Schools

American University
Yale University
University of Pennsylvania
New York University
Columbia University
City University of New York
University of Chicago
Boston University
Tel Aviv University

Two students present their research project titled “Bates in the Dawnland” during the Mount David Summit in Pettengill Hall’s Perry Atrium.

A small group of students walk towards a body of water in Alaska during an Archaeological Field Experience, Alaska: Temyiq Tuyuryaq, a Collaborative Indigenous Archaeology short term course.

A professor presents to a group of students in the first-floor computer lounge in Ladd Library.

Why Study Anthropology at Bates?

Our students choose to study anthropology because they are curious about humans and human behavior and seek answers to today’s most pressing social issues. Many engage in faculty-student research, while others may design their own learning trajectory to make the most of their anthropology education. With opportunities to study abroad and enroll in community-engaged courses, our anthropology program fosters students’ abilities to function effectively in new settings and to appreciate the value of cultural diversity.

Featured Courses

Meet the Faculty

Our faculty includes professors with Ph.D.s from Rice University, Tulane University, Princeton University, and Cornell University. We have studied a wide range of intersectional topics within anthropology, including indigeneity, fashion, language, history, the environment, and much more.