Public Issues Anthropology MA @ the University of Guelph Why choose Guelph's Public Issues Anthropology MA program? As anthropologists, we are uniquely positioned to explain, address, and respond to the major public and social issues of our time. With an understanding of community dynamics and global processes, our program focuses on the interface between anthropological knowledge and on-the-ground practice. We work with students to address issues critical to contemporary governance, public discourse, livelihoods, and civil society – and to meet the demands and concerns of our world. Our Public Issues Anthropology MA seeks to make our world a better, healthier, more equitable place to live. Contact us: Shelagh Daly Graduate Secretary Department of Sociology and Anthropology [email protected] Dr. Satsuki Kawano Public Issues Anthropology MA Coordinator [email protected] Faculty conduct research on a wide range of public issues including migration, globalization, human rights, indigenous rights, food and dietary practices, health, agriculture, rural livelihoods, disabilities, and families and aging. With these areas as our focus, we provide students with the opportunity to develop and hone the analytical, writing, and communication skills to apply anthropological concepts and methods inside and outside of academia. This is practical training for the challenges we all face in our everyday lives. "…the PIA MA program provides students with sound training in research, analysis, and writing, skills that I use everyday in my current career." – Leah Culver (Class of 2013) Anthropology at Guelph Students in our MA program choose either the Major Research Paper or Thesis track, depending on their research interests, priorities, and timelines. Photo above: Donkey cart (locally known as a "Kalahari Ferrari") in Botswana Major Research Paper track students take 6 courses, and write a major research paper based on primary or secondary research. This can be completed within 4 semesters. Thesis track students take 4 courses, develop and undertake primary fieldwork, and write and defend a thesis based on their fieldwork. This can be completed within 6 semesters. Our students have undertaken research on diverse topics in a wide range of locales, including Botswana, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Nepal, Nicaragua and Paraguay. "...the methodological skills I developed and honed in this program provided the impetus behind my decision to start a qualitative research facilitation business." – Sarah Yusuf (Class of 2014) Students can also apply to undertake an MA in International Development Studies at the same time as completing their MA in Public Issues Anthropology. Sample Courses Public Issues Anthropology: Students examine the interface between anthropological and public understandings of contemporary issues. This course ensures that students become well versed in how to synthesize the resources of various branches of the discipline. Gender and Development: In this course, students examine crosscultural and historical changes in gender relations and the roles/positions of women brought about by industrialization and the development of the world system. Community Engaged Scholarship: Community engaged scholarship (CES) involves the university in a mutually beneficial and collaborative partnership with the community to solve communityidentified problems. This course engages students in collaborative CES projects. Some Recent Thesis Titles Well-being and mining in Baker Lake, Nunavut: Inuit values, practices and strategies in the transition to an industrial economy – Sophie Maksimowski (2014) Small-to-medium scale farmers and direct marketing opportunities: Negotiating structures and exercising agency in urban food markets in Asuncion, Paraguay – Leah Culver (2013) "We are cash cows, we have dollar signs on our hats": An exploration of food security and identity among international students studying in Guelph and Windsor, Ontario, Canada – Erika Stewin (2013) Marketing medicines: Conceptualizing cultural identity among market vendors in Asuncion, Paraguay – Heather Millman (2012) Human, Kenyan, and Gay: Queer women's activism and identity construction in Nairobi – Kaitlin Dearham (2011) "To stand up on our own feet": The politics of San culture and indigeneity in Botswana – Karim Myatt (2011) Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph Some recent Major Research Papers Aboriginal urbanization and organizations in Canada: Understanding internal migration, the challenges of urban living, and the purposes of Friendship Centres in Canadian cities – Kodi Veenstra (2014) The story of the Haida Nation: Regaining control of Haida Gwaii through strategies, strength and sound stewardship – Jessica Steiner (2012) Photo on left: Protesting soy agriculture in urban Paraguay, 2009 Using Your Degree Financial support Anthropology as a discipline prepares students to work in a variety of non-governmental, governmental, academic, and consultation capacities. Our program ensures that students develop the skills necessary to engage with academic and non-academic realms; our graduates are well prepared to apply anthropological perspectives, insights and methods to a variety of public issues in diverse workplace and academic settings. Students have access to financial support in the form of scholarships, teaching assistantships, graduate research assistantships, special bursaries, and travel grants. All applicants are considered for funding – separate funding applications are not necessary, except in the case of travel grants. Graduates of our program have gone on to work for international NGOs, research consulting firms, community-based organizations, local government and the educational sector. Other graduates have gone on to pursue doctoral or law degrees. Want to know more about our department and our faculty? We also encourage students to apply for external funding, and offer workshops on writing strong funding applications. Photo below: Japanese ema boards with wishes dedicated to shrines, 2012 For information about applying to the program, and for faculty profiles, visit: https://www.uoguelph.ca/socioanthro/graduate-studies/ma-pia Visit the Department of Sociology and Anthropology website: https://www.uoguelph.ca/socioanthro/ Our twitter account: https://twitter.com/GuelphSOAN Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph Student experiences I really enjoyed the Public Issues Anthropology Masters program at the University of Guelph. The courses that the program offered were interesting and relevant, and faculty encouraged student to engage with complex public issues and multiple theoretical perspectives. I currently work as a human-environment consultant and socio-cultural anthropologist for a small, boutique, consulting firm in southwestern Ontario. Since working with this firm, I've undertaken consulting projects on traditional knowledge, oral history, and land use and occupancy studies with Aboriginal groups throughout Manitoba and Ontario. Among other things, the PIA MA program provides students with sound training in research, analysis, and writing, skills that I use everyday in my current career. – Leah Culver (class of 2013) Photo above: PIA students and faculty on a course fieldtrip, 2012 Photo below: Heather Millman (class of 2012) in the field, Asuncion, 2010 The Public Issues Anthropology MA program at the University of Guelph encouraged me to pursue my interests in sociocultural anthropology, and also challenged me to ask important questions about how anthropology as a discipline can contribute to society. The faculty is very encouraging, and it was with their support that I was able to secure SSHRC funding at both the MA and PhD levels. My experience at the University of Guelph inspired me to continue on with anthropological research at the doctoral level. – Heather Millman (Class of 2012) The PIA MA afforded me the opportunity to design a multi-sited field research project and to apply the theory I had studied in my undergraduate degree to the real, lived experience of important people in my life. My experiences interviewing over 30 elderly subjects in Italy and Ontario enabled me to develop the ability to craft effective questions, to recognize when linguistic and cultural differences create barriers to communication, and to put subjects at ease, transforming 'interviews' into 'conversations' that allow me to delve more deeply into the subject at hand. Following my graduation from the Masters of PIA program, I obtained my J.D. at Western Law (University of Western Ontario). I now practice law with a focus on family and civil litigation where I put my interview skills to use every day, whether by consulting with new clients or cross-examining witnesses at trial. There is no question in my mind that my skills as an effective litigator were developed through my experiences in the PIA MA and I owe the program a debt of gratitude for the skills and analytic depth it allowed me to gain. – Heather Alexander (Class of 2009)