Anthropology & Sociology

For best service starting December 18, 2024, and through January 10, 2025, please reach out to the Department Anthropology & Sociology via email at: phite@wcupa.edu, hwholey@wcupa.edu, or mceballos@wcupa.edu, or call us at: 610-436-2556. We will be available virtually during this time and will be happy to assist.

Anthropology and Sociology are social sciences oriented toward the systematic study of diverse peoples and groups, both sharing the desire to better understand society and culture.

The Mission of the Department of Anthropology and Sociology is to provide broad access to the skills and special knowledge inherent in our disciplines, to nurture an awareness of and appreciation for diversity, to promote a sense of civic responsibility, global awareness, and cultural competency in our students, and to support original and collaborative scholarship by faculty and students. It will meet this mission by offering courses leading to bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and sociology and minor programs in anthropology, sociology, and museum studies; a broad range of courses permitting students to satisfy the university’s general education requirements; and internships, field experiences, service learning, and international study opportunities.

Department faculty study a wide range of topics, including globalization; inequalities experienced due to gender, race, ethnicity, and social class; the social determinants of health; biocultural perspectives on food and nutrition; social movements (protests, uprisings and the like); religion in cultural and social contexts; the digital social realm; environmental sustainability and sustainable food systems; ancient societies and cultures; and heritage and preservation.

The Department of Anthropology and Sociology offers the following degrees and programs of study: