I am currently doing my last stage of research to complete my Ph.D. degree! After graduating, I hope to work as a college professor so that I can continue to do research projects and teach students about all of the things that I have learned.
As an anthropologist, I have learned many strategies that help me to conduct research and better understand human culture and language. These strategies can be useful to anyone, not just to anthropologists! Here are four ways that you can start learning to think like an anthropologist:
1. Be curious! One of the major ways that anthropologists collect information is by carefully observing people and places. To think like an anthropologist, pay attention to the world around you. What things catch your eye most? What questions do you have about these things? How could you figure out the answers to these questions?
2. Read! Anthropologists do a lot of reading to prepare for their research and learn about the people and places they are working with. Nonfiction books can teach you a lot about different cultures, but so can novels, poetry, and even comic books! Becoming a good reader will help you to think more critically and will be useful no matter what career you have in the future.
3. Learn a new language! Knowing multiple languages is an important part of being a linguistic anthropologist. Being able to speak to someone in their own language not only lets you better communicate with people, but it is also a good way to show respect for the people you are working with. Different languages construct the world in different ways, so learning a new language will also give you new perspectives.
