Cultural Anthropology at the University of Georgia

By accepted definition, this sub field of modern anthropology focuses on human cultural behavior, cultural systems, and the variation in cultural expressions among human groups. Of all the sub fields of anthropology, cultural anthropology holds a special place because of its focus on 'culture'. If modern (or past) anthropology "owns" any aspect of the study of humanity it is culture that is the single most distinctive attribute of our species.

The University Of Georgia Department of Anthropology places the study of culture in the context of its biological - through ecology and environment - role in human cultural systems. Our cultural anthropology faculty wields this ecological and environmental methodology to elicit new and substantive understandings of culture's adaptive strategies and unique embeddedness in the diverse biosphere as well as its influences and impacts on that biosphere and its biodiversity. Special research focuses of our department's cultural anthropologists include, but are not limited to: economic anthropology, globalization, migration, ecological/epidemiological issues and ethnomedicine; power, politics and culture; gender and ethnicity.

UGA cultural anthropologists and our students of our doctoral - level only graduate program work, as did the early practitioners of this sub field, both near and far. Current study areas include: SE Asia, the Indian Sub Continent, Africa/Madagascar, and Latin America. Cultural anthropology at UGA is vibrant and relevant to today's world. Its dialogue is with humanity, cultures, and the ecosystems within which all these cultures reside.