Anthropology Courses in India

Anthropology Courses in India are best suited for those who really want to study the origins and social relationships of human beings. Anthropology is the study of study of humankind in all places and at all times. It studies all aspects of society and culture like tools, techniques, traditions, language, beliefs, kinships, values, social institutions, economic mechanisms etc. Anthropology has origins in the natural sciences and the humanities. Generally Anthropologists specialize in one or more geographic region of the world - for example, West Africa, Latin America, the British Isles, Eastern Europe, North America and Oceania. Also, anthropology studies focus on particular populations in a locale or region. Like some study cultural practices of France while others study biological behaviour of Mayans. Anthropology in India is represented by the Anthropological Survey of India (An.S.I.). It is one of the premier research institutes established to carry out anthropological research as a sub-ordinate office under the Ministry of Culture. The Indian Anthropological Association (IAA) is the representative body of the professional anthropologists in India. It focuses on the understanding of the diversity and variations that the Indian society, culture and population exhibit.

Basic branches of anthropology -

1. Physical or biological Anthropology - It deals with the biological evolution of humans and linkage with their primate ancestors. Differences between various races, human genetics and adaptations to various conditions also come under this branch.

2. Social Anthropology - It with the socio cultural developments of human race from their origin. Different methods of forming communities, difference in culture of various clans, cross cultural communication etc. form the subject of study under this branch.

3. Prehistoric Anthropology - It is also Archaeology. It deals with bones, relics and artefacts dug up. It tries to reconstruct the chronological sequence of history on the basis of these findings.

4. Applied Anthropology - It deals with social problems like birth control, labour unrest, juvenile delinquency, mortality rate etc. with the help of information gathered from other fields. 

Few of the specialized fields in this science are - 

1.  Linguistic Anthropology - Seeks to explain the very nature of language and its use by humans

2.  Medical Anthropology - Seeks to better understand factors that influence peoples' health and well being

3.  Forensic Anthropology - Seeks to identify skeletal, or otherwise decomposed, human remains

4.  Business Anthropology - Helps businesses gain a better understanding of their activities and customers

5.  Visual Anthropology - Documents everyday life through filmmaking

6.  Environmental Anthropology - Believes that the well-being of the environment goes hand in hand with the well-being of people

7.  Museum Anthropology - Interprets ethnographic and archaeological collections to the general public

Content of Anthropology Courses in India

The study of this science includes all or few of these –

• Field project for the thesis
• Language training
• Field research

Objectives

1. Record-keeping
2. Analytical reading
3. Human behaviour study
4. Complementing other scientific and liberal arts

Basic Requirements

Anthropology Courses in India require candidates to have completed 10+2 with a science background for admissions to a B.Sc course, whereas a bachelor's degree is required for pursuing a PG course. An M.Sc degree is required for getting a job in the Indian market, while one must have a Ph.D if one wishes to work as an advisor for any international agency.

Anthropology Colleges in India

• University of Delhi
• Assam University
• Dibrugarh University
• University of Lucknow

Job Perspectives 

Anthropologists have multiple career options. Anthropology jobs in India are provided by the central government, state governments and private companies. They are also involved in the fields of medicine, epidemiology, public health, ethnic, community or area studies, linguistics, cognitive psychology, and neural science. They teach, conduct field investigations, analyze artefacts and sites, and publish the results of their research. Indian Council for Medical Research' (I.C.M.R.) is amongst the major employer in India. International agencies like WHO, UNESCO and UNICEF also recruits number of anthropologists to conduct research activities. Anthropologists receive very good remuneration. Those employed in public sector have pay packages as per the terms and conditions of the government. Corporate houses and industries offer various fringe benefits other than salaries and allowance. Academic institutions also have good pay packages. Since the job prospectus are diverse, the salary can vary tremendously.

Some Job Types

• Professors and Teachers
• Researcher
• Consultants
• Associate/Gender and Livelihoods Specialist
• Development Specialist  
• Administration and Records Officer
• Linguist
• Surveyor
• Curators
• Heritage Conservators
• Archivists
• Interpreters
• Resource Persons
• Research / Documentation Officer
• Project Associate
• Project Assistant

Some Employment Areas

• Research Institutions and Departments
• International Developmental Agencies
• Non-Governmental Organisations
• Universities and Colleges
• Museums
• Anthropological Survey of India
• Public Health Organisations
• Planning Commissions
• Cultural Centres
• Art Galleries
• Libraries
• Archives