Department of Anthropology

Who We Are

We are proud to be a nexus for world-changing interdisciplinary collaboration.

We offer undergraduate and graduate anthropology degree programs. Our strength is our four-field approach: we focus on archaeological, biological, linguistic, and sociocultural anthropology through innovative education and research. 

  • Archaeology investigates past societies through their material and written remains
  • Biological anthropology focuses on the evolution of humans as a species and the interaction of human biological variability with culture
  • Linguistic anthropology explores the interconnections among language, culture, thought, and social structure
  • Sociocultural anthropology is the comparative study of communities in their local and global contexts

We aim to create a vibrant and welcoming intellectual community for individuals whose research agendas, political commitments, national origins, racial identities, gender expressions, religious practices, and sexual orientations put them at odds with dominant institutions. 

Aligning closely with the American Anthropological Association Declaration on Anthropology and Human Rights, and the wider mission of the University of California, we engage in rigorous academic teaching, training, research, and public service to promote cultural understanding and social and environmental justice, while empowering our students to change the world.

Our faculty members are engaged in a shared vision of innovative education and theory-building and are committed to applying theory in a way that serves our local communities and the world. 

We boldly tackle significant research problems through targeted inquiry, while welcoming insights from unanticipated new discoveries. 

Employment

The Department of Anthropology is seeking applications for a Professor and Chair to join our dynamic department. Research focus may include living or past populations, including the intersecting social, material, and biological aspects of human life. This search is part of our departmental commitment to transforming anthropology through research, rigorous academic teaching, training, and public service to promote cultural understanding and social, racial, and environmental justice, while empowering our students to change the world.

Department Statements