Thanks for that Bewildered.
Already next year I am doing volunteer work in India with a development organisation, so when I'm there I will try to talk to as many people about it as possible. Yes, I've read a lot of threads on here with people saying they would never have undertaken a PhD at all, as work experience would have been a whole lot more valuable. I can understand this, however I have been given to understand that a PhD is also a personal thing, not necessarily entirely devoted to climbing the career ladder. Although I would expect holding a PhD to increase one's employability, at least a bit.
In Australia it is not necessary for us to do an MA before a PhD, sometimes you will be required to begin as an MA, to have it transferred to a PhD if it is found to be suitable for this purpose, but not at my uni. After realising that in the UK and US it seems to be a much longer process to gain a PhD, I'm wondering why the process is so short in Australia. Actually I don't think that here, they prepare you well at all, especially not for an anthropology PhD. It was never required to take any ethnographic research methods units, and before undertaking the PhD there is no formal training in fieldwork methods etc. I guess you just learn as you go.
Another positive thing for me is my supervisor. He is a great supervisor (I have just completed my honours dissertation) who enjoys learning off postgrad students as much as they can learn off him, plus his area of expertise is very similar to my intended field of research (sort of, urban poverty and social relations in the Philippines). After reading some of the posts on here, some people sure have been unlucky with their supervisors. My sister, currently doing her PhD, also has a fairly unresponsive supervisor.
Anyway I'm rambling on. Thanks again for the words of advice, I think I will spend the next year doing what you have said, and make a decision then about the best path for me to take.
:-)

Hello everyone,
I've been reading posts on here, and some comments, combined with comments by some of my lecturers at uni, have made me very worried and confused. I love anthropology and want to be an independent (as much as this is possible) researcher. I feel I need a PhD to be really considered an anthropologist, I figure it is the first step (or second, after undergrad), really, in a life long journey of anthropological research and enquiry (eek that sounds terribly syrupy).
I don't expect to finish a PhD and be handed a job, clearly that's not going to happen, also I realise its not entirely necessary, if at all, to have a PhD when I want to work in international/social development. Probably a masters, and work experience, would be fine, maybe even better. BUT I want to be considered an anthropologist, and do extensive ethnographic fieldwork.
Is this possible outside of academia? I am hearing that if I do not want to work in academia, then there is no point in doing a PhD in anthropology. But I love the idea of being in a researching/learning environment, of doing my own research, possibly publishing articles, of engaging in academic/anthropological discussions, etc.
And I am not saying I don't want to work in academia, period, just that that is not my main goal for wanting to do a PhD in anthropology. Even if I do not strictly need this kind of degree for future career prospects I still feel I want to do it.
But is this a waste of time? Or silly/ridiculous?
Keeping in mind, in Australia research degrees are free, and I would (hopefully, depending on my marks this year) receive a decent amount of funding which would see me through for 3.5 years, with the expectation of not taking much longer than 4 years to finish (ideally).
I'm just unsure if wanting to do a PhD for the sake of the research itself is perhaps vain and pointless. ???
Will I potentially be over-qualifying myself, or will the research and field work experience be invaluable?

Oh well that's good to hear, thanks. Seeing as my long term interests revolve around anthropology and international politics, I feel traveling will be of benefit (although I want to travel purely for enjoyment, too). Also plan on learning another language, such as Spanish or Indonesian, as I feel only knowing english is defiantly a disadvantage for me if I want to work in the areas of development and aid (which I do, at this stage anyway).
So thanks again. :-)

So, I'm not a PhD student yet, but it is something I'm seriously thinking about...thing is, I'm wondering how long is ok to take off from study, from the end of your undergrad degree to applying for a PhD?
I'm currently in my last year of study, in my social sciences degree (anthropology), and before I do anything I just want to travel for a while. Is having a gap of, say, two years between my last year of undergrad, and applying to do a PhD going to be detrimental to my application, in particular to get a scholarship? What does anyone else think/know about this?

:-(