Building a Better Anthropology

At the intersection of the sciences and the humanities, anthropology studies both the common origin of the human species and the cultural variation that shapes social, verbal, economic and political behavior.

The GW Department of Anthropology critically examines the ways in which all forms of social difference shape social processes at multiple levels – from the interpersonal to the global.

The department encourages scholarship that engages with current challenges -— ranging from displacement and political violence to major public health issues such as autism and epidemics (Covid, Ebola), discrimination and the role of science and technology in education and policy-making.

We work closely with many other departments, schools and programs at GW including Africana Studies, the Elliott School for International Affairs, the Institute for Middle Eastern studies, Public Health, History, the Cisneros Institute and American Studies. Long-time partners in the Washington DC area include the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Our practice fosters continuous engagement with the enduring legacies of the discipline of anthropology. On one hand we strive to build upon anthropology’s contributions to promoting more respectful understandings of difference. On the other hand, we recognize the discipline’s history of reproducing patterns of exclusion. Productive forums for debate include our annual graduate student-organized colloquium and Institute for Ethnographic Research speaker series.

Composed of graduate students, undergraduates, staff and faculty, our committee for “Building a Better Anthropology” periodically surveys students, faculty and staff to identify areas of professional practice that need revision.