'Always Something New': Spotlight on an Anthropology + Sociology Major

Allison Rivard, of Warwick, R.I., is a double major in Anthropology+Sociology and Legal Studies. Additionally, she has two minors: Political Science and Professional & Public Writing. Allison has embraced the idea of ‘powerful combinations’ to engage in a very well-rounded education.  

Why ANSOC: How did you decide to major in Anthropology + Sociology?

I took a sociology class in high school, as an elective in my senior year. We covered deviance and stigma and the role of the media in society. This class got me thinking in a different way. This class helped me take a step back and see things in a broader perspective and I really enjoyed it.  So, when I found out that I could continue to take these classes at Roger Williams University, I was very excited. 

When I came to RWU, I declared Legal Studies as my primary major and I was initially put into Political Science as my second major. However, to explore all of my options and see if I liked Anthropology, I took introduction-level courses in Political Science and Cultural Anthropology during my first semester. I really loved Cultural Anthropology and after that, I was sure I wanted to add Anthropology+Sociology as my second major. 

What interests you the most about anthropology and sociology?

I want to be a Public Interest Lawyer, and eventually a judge. Cultural Anthropology and Sociology are at the intersections of everything that impacts people’s lives in law. 

I keep ‘coming back’ to anthropology and sociology because there is always something new. I continue to learn about new cultures and learn from students in classes with different backgrounds from my own. I love the classes; they help with, not only, my Legal Studies major, but my minors in Political Science and Writing as well. Oftentimes, I find myself in class identifying topics and commonalities between that discipline and what we have discussed in my Anthropology+Sociology classes. This major is very intersectional and I think that it helps me bring a perspective to my other classes that may not have been voiced otherwise. 

Favorite Class: 

That is tough. I will say one from anthropology and one from sociology. For anthropology it was Reading Ethnographies with Dr. Skolnikoff. We read so many unique ethnographies from different cultures and eras of the discipline. We even read a graphic novel and approached it through the lens of ethnography. For sociology, I enjoyed Comparative Social Movements and Social Change with Dr. Rothschild. I enjoyed learning about major social movements throughout history and constructing a semester long portfolio that we each built around a single movement of our choosing. Additionally, I liked working with a peer for that project because I was able to learn about her project, which was about a historical social movement that I knew very little about previously. All of the peer assignments that we completed together, as well as the report-outs from other pairs in the class, gave me a lot of context for the different movements showcased in other projects.

Internship Experience:

I have been able to do a few internships since being at Roger. My favorite internship was working with the Elizabeth Buffum Chace Center, a domestic violence agency, two years ago. I was able to work with domestic violence survivors and assist the court advocates of a local RI courthouse. In this internship, I was able to connect survivors with other advocates, assist them with filing restraining orders, and informing them of other resources that were available to them. There were a lot of ‘heavy’ components of this work; particularly, having to read the police reports that outlined the violence. I also learned though that victims of domestic violence have a lot of agency in the legal process and they get to make a lot of their own choices on how to proceed. This made me very interested in victim advocacy more broadly. For example, I am also interested in the possibility of advocating for people in need of assistance within immigration law or employment law. 

My goal is to participate in another internship, ideally with the Commission for Human Rights. 

Study Abroad Experience: 

I decided to step out of my comfort zone and enroll in a Study Abroad Senior Seminar Class to London during winter break last year. I absolutely loved this trip. London was so diverse, I saw Big Ben and Stonehenge, the food was great, and I was even impressed with their transportation system. It was a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend it!

What else are you doing at RWU?  

I have a few on-campus jobs: I am an RA in Stonewall, a Writing Tutor, and a Career Peer Advisor within the CCPD. Additionally, I am involved with a few clubs within the School of Justice Studies.  I have been on Mock Trial’s Executive Board for three years and the club is growing so fast. In fact, this year, we are hosting our first-ever invitational tournament the weekend of November 23rd and 24th and I am the Tournament Director! 

Any ideas about life after RWU? 

 After graduating law school, in the future, I do know that I want to practice law and litigate before I reach my goal of becoming a judge. The dream is the Supreme Court, but we will see. 

What is your advice for incoming students and underclassmen?

Use this time and make the most of it! You can pave your own path by exploring different disciplines, double majoring, minoring, joining club(s) executive boards, etc. Do what interests you! You are going to meet a lot of people along the way, and get immersed in the campus community. I regret that I was not super involved in high school, but I am very involved now. Find your people and keep exploring!