Culture and Society

The scope of cultural and social anthropology at Stanford includes the study of the full range of human societies and cultures, especially as these are drawn together in transnational and global interactions. The Culture and Society track faculty are committed to an intellectually rigorous and socially responsible pursuit of answers to questions that urgently matter in the contemporary world. The track has a focus on understanding a wide range of issues in the comparative study of society and culture.

Faculty are engaged in ethnographic and documentary research informed by a wide array of theoretical perspectives, and focused on both traditional and emerging topics.

Required courses

Required: ANTHRO 90B: Theory of Culture and Social Anthropology
Required: ANTRHO 91: Methods and Evidence in Anthropology

Example of Courses within the Culture and Society Emphasis (20 units required)

  • ANTHRO 102: Cults - Mystics and Messiahs in a Modern World

  • ANTHRO 121B: “The Will to Adorn” - An Anthropology of Dress

  • ANTHRO 124A: Law in Social and Historical Perspective

  • ANTHRO 126: Urban Culture in Global Perspective