jobs-grad school etc reply

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My post garnered (?) some questions directed towards me that I
wish to reply to. First, thanks to Maddie B. for her (an assumption)
sympathy from her own attempts to get into grad school anth.
program. My questions were aimed at all comers, not just the
pros so thanks for the responses.
Michael Forstadt responded that he thought it was harder to get
into academia than grad programs. I'll have to bow to his greater
experience there, since I can't get beyond getting into grad. school
yet (this is my third year at trying). He suggested lobbying profs,
which works, I know, but is very difficult to do when the schools you
want or need to go to are on the east or west coast and you live in
the Middle of Nowhere, Texas. I can't afford enourmous long distance
bills and work full time, take classes, teach, so have little time
for constant letter writing. Yes, I know, find the money and make
the time. Just do it.
Bonnie Blackwell asks, as did others, what aspects of anth. am I
interested in? First and foremost, cultural. After that, I have
a wide range of interests: traditional music (I am a musician, and
play the folk harp and fiddle [Celtic style]); ethnomedicine and medical
anthropology; folklore; applied (especially as it relates to all of the
former; with areas of interest in China and the Middle East. I've just
spent a year learning Chinese, and am taking a course in medical
anthropology. Beyond that, I have a keen interest in just about
everything else.
Several ask: what can you do with anthro? Well, I've consulted with
architects who wanted to build apartment buildings in Afghanistan;
I work with a radio program producer who does a folkmusic show on
the local public radio show; I analyze commercials for social content
and use of elements such as music; I have consulted on the use of
art and music in education; I have worked as an investigator for
insurance companies. And so forth and so on. All of which used
every element of everything I ever learned in anth. Oh, yeah, I
have also taught anthropology. And try to aim it at non-anths so
that they can use it in whatever field they go into. I guess I
have a pretty strong applied background. I like making what I
know useful, I like the idea of using it to the benefit of what
ails us (strong save the world syndrome or some such), and I like
teaching. What can you do with anthro.? Also, consult for the
government, form policy, intercede between groups who share
territory, change agent, form medical procedures that take into
account traditional medical beliefs (I'm working on a paper
about the use of Chinese traditional medical beliefs and Western
medical beliefs as used by Chinese women). Did I answer all
questions, raise a few more? Again, thanks for your responses,
they were very helpful.
Lee Bradley
TTU, Lubbock, Texas

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