The Cultural Anthropology program at Missional University provides several ways that the material can be used in “real” life:

First, the courses show the student about the ways to “think like an anthropologist” – which helps to reveal their own cultural assumptions, especially the unexamined things that are rarely (if ever) questioned.  The program also provides ways to view other societies without bias or a sense of superiority, while still maintaining a Christian commitment and a respectful perspective.  In reality, all cultures (including our own) are a mix of good and bad, righteous and evil, and so students will learn to discern in these what is acceptable and what is not.  So there is a need for humility as we examine what other people believe and the ways that they therefore live.

Anthropology also increases our awareness of our own identity and why we think the way we do.  The “anthropological lens” shows the way we are socialized to our culture, based on what social researchers call the “ideal culture” – which is the ways that people view their own values and expected behaviors, reflecting what they think their society should be.  This can then be contrasted with the “real culture” – the actual way that people act and the way the culture functions.  By becoming aware of these issues, the student is better equipped to understand the social world and what values they accept or reject.

Students can also then realize the various “social roles” everyone fulfills and the significance of these expectations on how we live and relate to others. The culture and subcultures we grow up in have a powerful influence on our thinking and even our personalities.  Although this comes from our genetic makeup as well as our upbringing in a family or kinship network, anthropologists believe that the social environment has a great influence as well.  Although there are great varieties of personality types within cultures, it has also been observed that (without stereotyping) there are some traits that are more common in certain countries and regions.  These patterns of behavior are linked to the various “roles” that people take on and live out throughout their lives, primarily through their professional work.

This also provides a more comprehensive view of how a society’s parts work together.  People’s roles provide purpose, meaning, social acceptance and status, and therefore there is a strong motivation to fulfill the requirements of a role.  This illustrates how social networks and institutions function to maintain society.  Understanding these systems can help in creating positive social change, which is an important part of the mission of the Church in today’s world.  Anthropology can provide important tools for working in healthcare, education, social services, policy planning, non-profit work, research projects, international business, etc.  All these types of work – and many more – benefit from anthropological perspectives, especially about culture, worldview, holism, cross-cultural insights and the comparative approach.

As such, the program offers a means for students to become aware of different ways of life. By seeing other ways of doing things, they come to know that there are many different types of societies that meet human needs.  Experiencing cultural variety can be very informative, for all the reasons described above.  However, this is also challenging because it reveals that our social assumptions are not the only ones in the world. Many of our own truths are based on traditions that have been handed down by previous generations, and so it is difficult to realize there are alternate ways of living.  And cultural analysis is complicated even more by the need to integrate a Christian perspective.  But this is essential for all those who want to live in human societies while still maintaining a strong faith.