Cultural Anthropology
at the University of Hawai'i

Cultural Anthropology is the study of human nature as it is expressed in all its variations. The field is based on field work in contemporary societies (ethnography) and the comparison of societies past and present (ethnology). While a multitude of theoretical approaches are current in cultural anthropology, our Department espouses no orthodoxy and students are encouraged to develop their own theoretical interests. Although students in virtually all fields of cultural anthropology can be accommodated within the Department, three special programs are Ecological Anthropology and Medical Anthropology, and Discursive Practices, all of which involve collaboration with other disciplines and subdisciplines within anthropology. The faculty specializes in the cultures of Oceania, Southeast and East Asia.

Faculty

Andrew Arno, PhD 
Legal anthropology, ethnography of communication, kinship and social organization; Pacific <aarno@hawaii.edu> 

Jack Bilmes, PhD 
Linguistic anthropology, social interaction, discourse; Thailand <bilmes@hawaii.edu> 

C. Fred Blake, PhD 
Critical and interpretive theory, ethnography and biography, popular ideologies, social movements and entrepreneurship in the modern world economy; China and U.S. <fblake@hawaii.edu> 

Nina L. Etkin, PhD
Biological anthropology, medical anthropology, ethnobotany, diet, ethnopharmacology; West Africa, Pacific, Indonesia <etkin@hawaii.edu> 

Alex Golub, PhD
Cultural anthropology; 'kinship' and identity; governance, indigenous land tenure, mining and natural resources, common and intellectual property, semiotic technologies; Papua New Guinea, Melanesia, massively multiplayer online video games <>

Leslie E. Sponsel, PhD 
Ecology (cultural, historical, political, spiritual, Buddhist); sacred places and biodiversity; peace, human rights, ethics; SE Asia (Thailand), Amazon <sponsel@hawaii.edu> 

Ty P. Kawika Tengan, PhD
Cultural anthropology, indigenous theory and methodology, colonialism, nationalism, identity, gender, cultural politics; Pacific, Hawai`i <ttengan@hawaii.edu> 

Geoffrey M. White PhD, (East-West Center) 
cultural anthropology, cultural studies, history and memory, self and emotion, ethnographic methods, Pacific Islands, America <white@hawaii.edu> 

Christine R. Yano, PhD 
Cultural anthropology, popular culture, ethnomusicology, cultural nationalism, emotions; Japan, Japanese-Americans <cryano@hawaii.edu> 

Heather Young Leslie, PhD 
Cultural construction of 'health', medical professionals & medical systems (across time and space), midwifery, gender, 'the body', development, qualitative methodologies, and women's material culture. <hyleslie@hawaii.edu> 

Additional Graduate Faculty

Robert Borofsky (PhD, Hawaii Pacific U) 
Anthropology of knowledge, symbolic analysis, medical anthropology; Polynesia <borofsky@hpu.edu> 

William Chapman (PhD, American Studies)
-historic preservation, historical archaeology, history of anthropology <wchapman@hawaii.edu>

Suzanne Falgout ( PhD, West Oahu College)
-social and historical anthropology; Micronesia, Hawai'i <falgout@hawaii.edu>

Dru Gladney (PhD, Asian Studies) 
Ethnicity, nationalism, public culture, religious ideology; China, Central Asia, Turkey <dru@hawaii.edu> 

Michael Hamnett (PhD, RCUH) 
Applied policy research, economic development, research management; Oceania <hamnett@hawaii.edu> 

Gregory G. Maskarinec , PhD
-cultural and medical anthropology, ethnology, discourse practices, oral texts, religion; Himalayas, South & Central Asia <gregorym@hawaii.edu>

Jonathan Y. Okamura (PhD, Ethnic Studies) 
Ethnicity and ethnic relations, Asian American studies, Philippines, Hawai'i <okamuraj@hawaii.edu> 

Jan Rensel, (PhD, Center for Pacific Islands Studies)
Socio-economic change, housing change, migrant communities; Polynesia <rensel@hawaii.edu> 

Paul J. Ross, MA
-medical anthropology, international health, transcultural nursing, diet and health; West Africa, the Pacific

Miriam Sharma (PhD, Ctr for South Asian Studies)
-political economy, development, class formation and gender relations, radical feminist theory; India <csas@hawaii.edu>

Emeritus

Stephen T. Boggs, PhD 
Sociolinguistics and socialization, methods, education, ethnic groups in Hawai`i 

Alice G. Dewey, PhD 
Economics, kinship, Javanese conceptual frameworks; Southeast Asia, Pacific 

Ben R. Finney, PhD 
Socio-economic change, cultural adaptation to sea and space; Pacific Islands <bfinney@hawaii.edu> 

Robert C. Kiste, PhD 
Cultural/social anthropology, cultural change; Oceania <kiste@hawaii.edu> 

Takie S. Lebra, PhD 
Culture and self, communication, social organization, women, career, elite; Japan <lebra@hawaii.edu> 

Thomas W. Maretzki, PhD 
Psychological and medical anthropology, culture, health, illness; North America and Germany 

Douglas L. Oliver, PhD 
Social anthropology; Pacific 

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