When people ask what you can do with an anthropology degree, my response—“spend a week walking around Northern Ireland talking to strangers”—probably is not the answer they are expecting. Yet somewhere among the conversations with locals, walking tours through Belfast, and making sense of competing stories about the same conflict, I found myself relying on many of the skills anthropology has taught me. What started as a research trip quickly became a lesson in what anthropology looks like in practice. Alongside five other University of North Texas students through the Castleberry Peace Institute, I was able to travel to Northern Ireland [...]

Hint: Pop culture is key! If anthropology is the study of people, meanings, and culture, why does it sometimes feel like our events stay trapped in an anthro-bubble? What can we do as anthropologists to help this bubble pop? The answer is in the name—Pop Culture—modern culture transmitted through mass media, usually relating to younger audiences. Pop Culture typically centers on societal features such as fashion, music, movies, and slang. Drawing on Pop Culture can build interest around your event or work and be a “game changer” for your audience. Instructors, what if there were a way to get students interested [...]