Santa Clara University

Department Goals

In light of the university Strategic Plan, faculty of the Santa Clara University Anthropology Department are committed to providing our students with a broad and integrated vision of the liberal arts and the discipline of anthropology. This commitment entails understanding the sub-fields of the discipline (archaeology, biological anthropology, and cultural) and exploring the significant linkages between these areas of study.

In general, our mission includes:

• developing student understanding of the diverse cultural and social forces shaping both the United States and other societies in an increasingly interconnected world (cultural anthropology);
  
• instilling in our students an understanding of the patterns of change and diversity realized by human communities through prehistory and history (archaeology), and across the range of human physical variation (biological anthropology);
  
• actively involving students in research and scholarship, as well as community participation. We believe that this kind of active involvement is critical for the education of the whole person.

Since anthropological perspective provides a unique lens for viewing and working with all societies, both our own and those of others, we feel that our students will develop successful strategies for working and living that will be applicable anywhere. Reflecting the vision of the Jesuit education at Santa Clara, our ultimate goal is to educate women and men to be understanding and caring citizens.