MA in Anthropology- Cultural Anthropology in Detroit United States | Wayne State University

Anthropology explores humankind across all eras and locations. Cultural anthropologists gain insights into human societies by fully engaging with people's daily lives in specific cultural contexts. This could involve assisting Andean farmers with irrigation tasks, attending urban planning meetings in Paris or Detroit neighborhoods, or conversing with West African vodun priests during ritual preparations.

Through active participation and observation, we gain understanding from our collaborators about their worldviews. Covering the full spectrum of human diversity, cultural anthropology challenges our own cultural assumptions and helps us appreciate different ways of being human. It also offers analytical frameworks for examining social inequalities both within and across communities.

At Wayne State, anthropology students get comprehensive instruction in cultural anthropology's principles, theories, and methodologies, with chances to join faculty research, study abroad programs, and local research initiatives in Detroit and beyond.

Department faculty conduct research with both urban and international focus. Graduate students complete local fieldwork as part of their methodological training, with many producing master's essays, theses, or dissertations focused on Detroit or southeastern Michigan, while others pursue doctoral research in different U.S. regions or overseas.