Sociocultural & Linguistic Anthropology

Undergraduates gain a strong foundation in sociocultural theory, the anthropology of language and linguistics, and public anthropology. Key concerns include cultural and linguistic revitalization, gender, ethnicity, nationalism, human rights, ethnoaesthetics (culturally specific artistic creation), expressive culture, land, water, health, historical consciousness, public policy, ritual, and tourism. We regularly offer training in ethnographic fieldwork, visual documentation, museum studies, and the analysis of speech-based interaction, and emphasize the productive relationships between theory and practice by encouraging students to pursue research that addresses the concerns of the people with whom they work, while also sharpening the focus and purpose of sociocultural theory. Special area strengths include Latin America, the U.S. Southwest, and Native North America.