Anthropology or a dose of medicine? May 10, 2008
Posted by Diadem in : Lessons in life , 11commentsEvery time I have a new acquaintance, they would always ask me what I am doing here in Australia. Blankly, I tell them that I am pursuing my PhD in Anthropology.
Upon hearing the word “anthropology,” they seemed awed and somewhat admired me for becoming a future anthropologist. I wondered why. 
Taking anthropology was not actually my original plan. I just wanted to study Filipino rice farmers’ culture and behaviour. Being a development communicator in the Philippine Rice Research Institute, such study would help us capture the ”heart” of the farmers because of the complex rice farming system and reduce the gap between them and the scientists in the process.
I wanted to take up community psychology then, or rural sociology. But I was advised during our orientation at the Philippine Social Science Council that anthropology would be more suitable for my study. They told me, “Anthropologists look at cross-cultural differences in social institutions, cultural beliefs, and communication process. They seek to promote understanding between groups by ‘translating’ one culture from the other, for instance, by spelling out common and taken-for-granted assumptions”.
I actually had anthropology subjects in my undergraduate degree, and my professors’ explanation of anthropology sounded like a musical melody to my ears. I realized that there were only few people in my community who do anthropological work. (more…)