What are they?
I have always loved Anthropology, and have often thought of studying it formally.
What, however, do Anthropologists DO (for a living, I mean)?
Other than the obvious (teaching, writing books and university research fellowships) what careers are open to Anthropologists?
How open is the field?

One Raven:
What are they?I have always loved Anthropology, and have often thought of studying it formally.
What, however, do Anthropologists DO (for a living, I mean)?
Other than the obvious (teaching, writing books and university research fellowships) what careers are open to Anthropologists?
How open is the field?

I was minoring in Anthoropology when I was in undergrad. But I did it solely out of curiosity and for personal pleasure. Quite frankly, other than the carrer options you mentioned above, I cannot think of any.

Possibly you may work as a curiator at a museum. If you have a good command in ancient languages such as arabic, you can be a translator. And depending upon a kind of anthoropology - eiher physical or cultural - you might be able to become a sociologist.

At any rate, virtually all things I am interested in have no practical application so I am hoping that I marry to a wealthy woman so that I can pursue my impractical studies.
kind regards,

Most careers in anthropology that are reflective of the individual disciplines themselves (ethnography, archaeology, biological, linguistics) are academic or scholarly. That is to say, they involve professorships or research positions at universities.

Although, there is a growing need for physical anthropologists (biological) in fields of criminalistics and forensic science. Also, cultural resource managers are in demand both in the public and private sectors that would make use of archaeology and cultural anthropology (ethnography) backgrounds.

I know of a CRM who has a private company and she contracts to other companies, corporations and government entities to conduct archaeologic surveys of sites prior to construction or destruction as required by the law. She makes good money at it.

I'm in my final year archaeology and I regret it. There are no jobs available at all. I could go and teach history in highschool, or something like that ... like that's what I always wanted to do :mad: :p

I you want to have a decent job later, don't go in this direction. You can alway study these things later on when you're settled.

You should look into Cultural Resource Management opportunities where you live (or elsewhere). There are a lot things available if you want to apply your archaeology education.

Thanks for all your feedback.

Does anyone know how Research Fellowships work?
Do you just look for "Help Wanted: Anthropologist" ads for Universities?
Do you come up with a research project on your own (with budget requirements etc) and bring it to a university and try to sell the idea to them?

Also, what would a university get out of a Anthropological research study?
I would have the rights to publish my findings myself, right? What does it do for them, other than having their name attached to the study?

Do you have a source for good information regarding this specifically (or obtaining Research Fellowships in general)?

Thanks again

Ideally, I would like to write books and maybe film some documentaries (doing free-lance projects for National Geographic would be a dream come true) but I am also concerned about paying the bills in reality.

I hear the church needs scientists.

You could try to find human and dinosaur bones in the same strata.