Welcome!

You can take the academic out of anthropology, but you can't take the anthropology out of the academic.

A little about me

Hey there! I'm Megan Rodrigues: 22 years old, Indian, bookworm, foodie, photographer, lover of dance, fashion, and so much more.

I was born and raised in Dubai, as the youngest of four in an extremely bustling household. After living my whole life there, I was eager for change and independence. So, three years ago, I moved to the Netherlands - a.k.a. the land of cheese and incredible cycling infrastructure - in pursuit of a little undergraduate degree named Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (CADS), never realising just how much I'd fall in love with it.

For the average person though, CADS is not exactly a mainstream degrees like Finance, Psychology or Law. More often than not, I love how people respond with blank stares or mild curiosity upon hearing what I study. This was an semi-ignorable problem for the past three years while I was still a student, but as I now dive headfirst into Satan's third circle of hell that is the 2024 job market, I find that translating what anthropology is to non-anthropologists extremely essential for the type of career paths I want to do.

So, what is Anthropology?

Before finding this degree, I was just as clueless as you were about what Anthropology is. Like most anthropologists, I struggle to aptly define what I study because the discipline has undergone so many evolutions throughout its history. After receiving a rather clever tip from Tim, an ex-lecturer of mine, I describe my degree as "sociology with the methodological approach of a journalist."

A more detailed explanation would be that CADS takes a contextual approach to understanding present day societies and its social issues of diversity, sustainability, AI and media, by connecting present day phenomena to its broader historical and systemic contexts. This means that anthropologists are experts in researching inequalities and what it takes to combat them. Beyond academic publications, anthropologists also present their findings via novels, visual ethnographies, documentaries or even photography to ensure their findings don't remain locked within the academic's ivory tower.

Live footage of a wild anthropologist in the field

Launching 'The Sustainability Anthropologist'

I therefore officially welcome to you to this website's main purpose of being my portfolio showcasing the power of anthropological research in all its ethnographic glory.

At the heart of it all, I want to illustrate how anthropology's anti-normative nature can be the guider of social change, especially for sustainability. In the past three years, I've developed a muscle for critical thinking crucial for seeing past greenwashing claims and unethical practices, so I hope to use this platform as a creative outlet for raising awareness on how climate change and even sustainability efforts are exacerbating inequalities among the most marginalized among us, through visual methods and written blogs.

Diving into the world of sustainability anthropology throughout my degree has been a wild ride. It's been tough but also super fulfilling. But I'm pumped to keep going down this road, do my part in sustainability, and help make our world a better place. Come along as I check out new chances and work towards a greener future for everyone!