Studies of “the basic man” joins in a curriculum on “the man in society” with the initiation of a new undergraduate major in anthropology in Mississippi State University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
With the new bachelor’s degree major and master’s degree minor the department has two new faculty members – Dr. Richard E. See, who has three degrees from the University of California in Los Angeles, and John R. Davis, who is completing requirements for a Ph.D. at that institution.
“We have expanded our course offerings to include teaching and training in physical anthropology, archaeology, cultural anthropology and linguistics,” said Dr. M.T. Loftin, department head. “In the past, we have had some anthropology work available, but only to enrich the core curriculum in liberal arts and to supplement the overall master’s and Ph.D programs in sociology.”
The two curriculums are closely associated. Sociology is defined as the study of the nature, origin and development of human society and community life, while anthropology is acknowledged as the science that deals with the origin, development, races, customs, and beliefs of mankind.
Dr. Loftin considers Mississippi an excellent area to gather and analyze anthropology information due to the current social and cultural changes taking place in the state. Davis has already begun a research project Involving the changing labor force in the Mississippi Delta., which is related to earlier research investigations he has made in Brazil.
“The labor situation in the Delta seems comparable,” said Dr. Loftin, “to a situation just beginning in one area of Brazil where Davis has visited and worked.”
The new anthropology curriculum may also provide additional opportunity later to perform the archaeology work that needs to be done in Mississippi, said Dr. Lortin. The new curriculum will give students a chance to study in this area, he noted, and an archaeologist may be the next addition to the department’s faculty. A physical anthropologist will also be a definite need for the near future.
Next curriculum steps will be provided with both master’s Ph.D. degree programs in anthropology at the University. The department already has expanded its sociology curriculum through the Ph.D. level, and its 15-hour undergraduate program in social work is steadily growing.
Both Dr. See and Davis are assistant professors in the department. Davis supplements his research responsibilities with teaching; Dr. See is primarily a teacher, but also is active in research.
Dr. See came to MSU after serving as an instructor at Los Angeles State College and as both a teaching and research assistant at UCLA. His research emphasis has been on language among the Australian aborigines.
