Hello, my name is Jessica Mendez Robles and I am a Music and Anthropology/Sociology, double major. I chose Anthropology/Sociology as one of my majors at Gustavus because of my genuine interest in wanting to better understand the world and the behaviors that are a part of it. I want to look into the people that make up the world and see things from new perspectives.
I mainly wanted to focus on the aspect of culture, because this is such an important factor in what makes up the world. Culture influences so many things, including the way our personalities, and even the way our societies, are formed. And it sets precedence for nearly everything. There are so many diverse places with rich cultures to learn about in and outside of Western society, and I think keeping an open mind to learn more about what makes us human, is what really drove my interest in this major.
One of the things that grabbed my interest was a subfield in Anthropology which is Ethnomusicology. Ethnomusicology is studying music from the cultural and social aspects of the people who make it. I enjoy learning about cultures and people, and I have been participating in music for many years now, so I wanted to find a way to merge the two together and I think Ethnomusicology was the best choice. This drives my decision as to what I want to do after I leave Gustavus, I am considering going to graduate school and pursuing research or wanting to teach about it so that I can give my own insight and perspectives on these cultures.
I have particularly enjoyed Cultural Anthropology and The Sociology of Death and Dying, both classes are very informative and give good information on the social aspects of the world. I am looking forward to taking more classes that explore different cultures and show different perspectives about society.