Anthropology as General Education, Essay Example

U.S. and U.K. are two of the most popular destinations for college education among the international students. I have had the opportunity to learn more about the U.K. education system in which usually completes an undergraduate degree in three years instead of the usual four years in the U.S. The people who have had the opportunity to study both in the U.K. and U.S. usually claim that academic workload is usually more in the U.K. college system on the average yet they believe that the U.S. education system is more engaging and effective in terms of learning. They specifically mention the General Education system at the Undergraduate level as one of the most distinctive features of the U.S. college education system and I could not agree more. Before entering college, I used to consider General Education system as a waste of time but nothing could have been farther from the truth. I have taken many courses but no course has left a greater impression on me than the anthropology course. If it were up to me, I would make anthropology as a mandatory course at the undergraduate level for every single student in the world.

Anthropology taught me that all languages, cultures, and races are equal and there is no single language, culture, or race better than the other. Instead of comparing them with each other, we should celebrate the unique beauty of each culture and language because diversity is what makes the world a more exciting place to live. I also learnt in anthropology that there are more similarities among cultures than differences. Similarly, anthropology encourages us to meet people from other cultures to get to know them better. As I think about current global geopolitical conflicts as well as the prevalence of biases and stereotypes about other countries and their residents, even in developed countries like the U.S., I realize how anthropology can play a huge role in promoting peace and cross-cultural exchanges.

Since I have taken anthropology, I have also become more aware of my own biases and stereotypes. Now when I meet people from other countries, I am genuinely interested in their opinions. The improved communication skills as a result of taking anthropological approach to learning about other people has helped me learn several things I could not have known otherwise. First of all, I have learnt that media plays a huge role in shaping the opinions and beliefs of the masses and it is true everywhere in the world. In addition, most people only see what their governments and media want them to see and as a result they are only looking at one side of the mirror. Not surprisingly, they often have quite inaccurate perceptions of other countries and their people.

If every student takes anthropology class and apply the lessons to his/her life, I have no doubt that the world will become a more peaceful place to live. The key to sorting out differences lies in communication as well as a genuine desire to learn about each other.