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As an anthropology student, I get the opportunity to learn about various cultures and societies. This increased my knowledge on the ways in which cultures are similar and different, and the importance of learning about other cultures as it deepens our understanding of one another.
Towards the end of the academic year of Year 12 Anthropology, I went on a trip with my class where we met with another school who also studied anthropology. During this trip, we visited the Victoria and Albert Museum and were given a tour of the bank (Do you know what bank this was?). When touring Brick Lane, I became aware of the importance of history that can sometimes be forgotten when we overlook the struggles different groups of people experience as a result of their position within society. We were able to learn about the cultural identity of the brick lane and the significance of this area within the local community.
This trip made me realise that anthropology surrounds us every day in ways that we overlook. The ways in which society and culture influence our heritage and who we are today is commonly overlooked but nonetheless, extremely important.
In the future, I would like to further my studies within the discipline of anthropology. This trip aided in my understanding of cultural identities and the ways in which anthropology can be applied in different aspects of our society. I would like to advise everyone to think more anthropologically about the world around them. Why do we think the way we think? What influences our world view? What do we expect of ourselves and others around us, and why?
If you are thinking of studying anthropology in the future, be ready for ‘the strange to become familiar and the familiar to become strange’ (Claude Lévi-Strauss). Anthropology encourages us to appreciate the diversity of human nature — even if it initially seems strange to us, and the importance of looking at other cultures through a lens other than your own.
Maryam Haman (Y13)
Subject prefect
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