History

The distinct and separate disciplines of anthropology and sociology became part of the Kenyon curriculum as a combined department in the early 1970s. This addition was made possible by three principal factors: first, both disciplines had reached full maturity by the mid-twentieth century; second, the growing recognition that each discipline would enhance Kenyon's commitment to the liberal arts; and third, the fact that the advent of coeducation--and concurrent expansion in the size of the college--made an increase in faculty size and curricular diversity both possible and desirable.

After offering its first coursework in the 1972-73 academic year, the department expanded quite rapidly to five faculty positions (three in anthropology and two in sociology) by 1975-76. The first anthropology and combined anthropology/sociology majors graduated in that year, and the first majors in sociology followed a year later.

In building the programs, the department focused not only on subdisciplinary breadth but also on theoretical depth, in order to provide students with both a balanced and a rigorous encounter with each discipline. Thanks to a strong and positive response by students, as well as an enthusiastic and productive faculty, the department grew to eight faculty positions by the mid-1980s. Sociology expanded to incorporate a diversified set of interests in social thought and social theory, social institutions and change, and identity and culture (Professors Howard Sacks, John Macionis and George McCarthy). In 1989, Professor Ric Sheffield joined sociology as director of Kenyon's law and society program, and Marla Kohlman joined the regular faculty in 1999 to teach sociology and African and African American studies. Jan Thomas served as a visiting professor from 1996-1998 and 2000-2002. She became part of the tenure-track faculty in 2003.

By the late 1990s the programs in anthropology and sociology had grown sufficiently in size to warrant the creation of separate departments, which were formally launched in academic year 2000-2001.