Anthropology: Associations, Institutes and Societies

Founded in 1902, the American Anthropological Association (AAA) is the world's largest organization of individuals interested in anthropology. Although there were several other American anthropological societies in existence at the turn of the 20th century, this new, national organization was formed "to promote the science of anthropology, to stimulate and coordinate the efforts of American anthropologists, to foster local and other societies devoted to anthropology, to serve as a bond among American anthropologists and anthropologic[al] organizations present and prospective, and to publish and encourage the publication of matter pertaining to anthropology" (AAA Articles of Incorporation). At its incorporation, the Association also assumed responsibility for the American Anthropologist, which was originally begun in 1888 by the Anthropological Society of Washington (ASW).

The AAPA is the world's leading professional organization for physical anthropologists. Physical anthropology is a biological science that deals with the adaptations, variability, and evolution of human beings and their living and fossil relatives. Because it studies human biology in the context of human culture and behavior, physical anthropology is also a social science.

The American Ethnological Society is the oldest professional anthropological organization in the United States. Founded in 1842 to encourage research in the emerging field of ethnology, its stated goal was to foster inquiries generally connected with the human race. Today the AES, a section of the American Anthropological Association (AAA), is a thriving group of nearly 4,000 anthropologists who organize an annual meeting, publish the journal American Ethnologist, and carry on a variety of activities to promote scholarship on ethnology in the broader sense of the term.

The American Society for Ethnohistory (ASE) was founded in 1954 to promote the interdisciplinary investigation of the histories of the Native Peoples of the Americas. The ethnohistorical method, as it has come to be known, involves developing histories informed by ethnography, linguistics, archaeology, and ecology.

The Archaeology Division of the American Anthropological Association was founded in 1983 to advance the study of archeology as an aspect of anthropology, to provide a forum for members to discuss issues central to the development of archeology, and to foster the publication and communication of the results of archeological research and interpretations to anthropologists, to other scholars, and to the general public.

The purpose of the Association for Africanist Anthropology (AFAA) shall be to stimulate, strengthen, and advance anthropology by promoting the study of Africa, as well as Africanist scholarship and the professional interests of Africanist anthropologists in the U.S., and both in and outside of the African Continent.

The purpose of this section of the American Anthropological Association is to foster development of feminist analytic perspectives in all dimensions of anthropology; to facilitate communication among feminist anthropologists and between them and feminist scholars in other related fields; to provide information on issues related to gender differences and to gender-based discrimination within the discipline and society; and to encourage integration of feminist research from the different subfields of anthropology and to bring the focal concerns of feminist anthropology into the development of the subdisciplines.

The Association for Political and Legal Anthropology (APLA) is a section of the American Anthropological Association (AAA). Its members share interests in issues of contemporary importance in the fields of political and legal anthropology, including nationalism, citizenship, political and legal processes, the state, civil society, colonialism and post-colonial public spheres, multiculturalism, globalism, immigration, refugees, and media politics.

The goals of ALLA are to promote research and distribute information on Latinos in the United States.

The Association of Senior Anthropologists (ASA) of the American Anthropological Association offers senior and retired anthropologists, curators, researchers, linguists, archaeologists, and museum technicians a continuing presence and voice in the discipline, allowing them to put their accumulated knowledge and insights to significant use.

The ASA was founded in 1946 to promote the study and teaching of social anthropology, to present the interests of social anthropology and to maintain its professional status. Its aim is to assist in any way possible in planning research, to collate and publish information on social anthropology and to function as a register of social anthropologists.

Purpose is to advance the study of biological anthropology and to encourage communication of the results of such study.

The Center for the Study of the First Americans explores the questions surrounding the peopling of the Americas. The Center pursues research (develops new knowledge regarding PaleoAmerican origins, human dispersal, settlement, and cultural and biological development that occurred before 12,000 years ago), education (trains students who will go on to continue First Americans research), and public outreach (disseminates the results of academic research into the first Americans to the general public through our publications).

Founded in 1921 as the Central Section of the American Anthropological Association, the Central States Anthropological Society (CSAS) is a friendly, four-field professional society that welcomes students and anyone keen on promoting anthropology in the heartland, and beyond.

The Council for Museum Anthropology is an all-volunteer membership organization that serves anthropologists and museum professionals dealing with anthropological collections and issues through Museum Anthropology, a regular column in the Anthropology Newsletter, and occasional meetings, seminars, and special publications. CMA's mission is to foster the development of anthropology in the context of museums and related institutions.

The Council on Anthropology and Education (CAE) is a section of the American Anthropological Association that was founded in 1968 to advance and stimulate scholarship on schooling in social and cultural contexts and on human learning both inside and outside of schools.

The purpose of the Culture and Agriculture section of the American Anthropological Association is to develop the study and understanding of agrarian systems from a holistic, social science perspective, and to link academics and practitioners concerned with agrarian issues, agricultural development, and agricultural systems through dissemination of scientific research, encouragement of effective instruction, and to encourage application of knowledge to public policy.

The European Anthropological Association, EAA, is a scientific organisation which aims to promote research and teaching in Anthropology in the different European countries and to promote exchanges of information, workshops, scientific congresses, and schools at post graduate level.

The primary purposes of the Evolutionary Anthropology Society (hereafter, EAS) are to: promote the application of modern evolutionary theory to the analysis of human behavior and culture (including its paleontological, archaeological, and linguistic manifestations); foster scholarly exchange between evolution-minded researchers in all subfields of anthropology as well as in other disciplines; support the dissemination of evolutionary anthropology in teaching and research; provide a forum for those who are concerned with the communication of evolutionarily-informed anthropological research among the general public; provide a greater opportunity for evolutionarily-oriented anthropology graduate students to present papers at the American Anthropological Association (AAA) annual meetings, and to encourage them to take full advantage of the benefits of belonging to the AAA.

The Foundation (FAMSI) was created in 1993 to foster increased understanding of ancient Mesoamerican cultures. The Foundation aims to assist and promote qualified scholars who might otherwise be unable to undertake or complete their programs of research and synthesis. Projects in the following disciplines are urged to apply: anthropology, archaeology, art history, epigraphy, ethnography, ethnohistory, linguistics, and related fields.

The General Anthropology Division (GAD) of the American Anthropological Association was founded in 1984 to foster scholarly exchange on the central questions that unify the subfields of anthropology. GAD represents the interests of all anthropologists who wish to support and promote the holistic perspective through their teaching, research and service; and provides a forum for those who are concerned with the communication of anthropological knowledge to the general public.

Promoting education and research in Geology, Archaeology, Anthropology, Energy and Environmental Sciences.

The Institute of Human Origins (IHO) conducts, interprets and publicizes scientific research on the human career. IHO’s unique approach brings together scientists from diverse disciplines to develop integrated, bio-behavioral investigations of human evolution. Through research, education, and the sponsorship of scholarly interaction, IHO advances scientific understanding of our origins and its contemporary relevance. Combining interdisciplinary expertise and targeted funding, IHO fosters the pursuit of integrated solutions to the most important questions regarding the course, cause and timing of events in human evolution.

The Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology (ISCA) is a leading centre for anthropological teaching and research in the UK and the world.

The Middle East Section (MES) of the American Anthropological Association convenes anthropologists with an interest in the peoples, cultures and histories of the Middle East. Our membership is noteworthy for its disciplinary diversity: socio-cultural anthropologists, linguistic anthropologists, physical anthropologists and archaeologists, as well as practicing anthropologists from these subdisciplines, all participate actively in the section, and our membership thrives on the participation of members from the United States, the Middle East, and from other parts of the world.

Founded in 1983, NAPA strives to promote the practice of anthropology, both within the discipline and among private and public organizations. Includes a searchable directory of practicing anthropologists.

Founded in 1985 to address graduate and undergraduate student concerns and to promote the interests and involvement of students as anthropologists-in-training.

Professional organization for anthropologists of Northeastern North America.

The Paleoanthropology Society was founded in 1992. It recognizes that paleoanthropology is multidisciplinary in nature and the organization's central goal is to bring together physical anthropologists, archaeologists, paleontologists, geologists and a range of other researchers whose work has the potential to shed light on hominid behavioral and biological evolution.

The Plains Anthropological Society promotes the study of the peoples and cultures of the North American Great Plains. The Society supports the growth of knowledge concerning the physical, cultural, archaeological and linguistic variation and evolution of Plains societies. The organization disseminates research results through publication of the Plains Anthropologist, a quarterly, peer-reviewed academic journal and memoir series, and through the exchange of information and ideas at its annual conference. The Society actively encourages and recognizes excellence in scholarship, service to the anthropological community and the maintenance of research collections.

The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (RAI) is the world's longest-established scholarly association dedicated to the furtherance of anthropology (the study of humankind) in its broadest and most inclusive sense...It has a particular commitment to promoting the public understanding of anthropology, and the contribution of anthropology to public affairs. It publishes journals, has a privileged link with the Anthropology Library (British Museum), has a film and video library and an extensive photographic collection, gives awards for outstanding scholarship, organises lectures and meetings, and manages a number of trust funds for research.

The Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges (SACC) is an informal network of people who teach in precollege, college, and other educational institutions.

Promotes the integration of anthropological perspectives and methods in solving human problems throughout the world; advocates for fair and just public policy based upon sound research; to promote public recognition of anthropology as a profession; and supports the continuing professionalization of the field.

Multi-disciplinary organization, whose members all share a common devotion to the conduct of cross-cultural research.

The SCA promotes scholarship and scholarly communication about cultural studies and culture theory broadly conceived. SCA also aims to connect cultural anthropology with scholars in such other disciplines as history, literature, philosophy, and science studies.

A section of the American Anthropological Association, the SEAA is committed to developing international channels of communication among anthropologists throughout the world. We hope to promote discussion and share information on diverse topics related to the anthropology of Taiwan; PRC; Hong Kong; Japan; Korea; other societies/cultures of Asia and the Pacific Basin with historical or contemporary ties to East Asia; transnational linkages among East Asian or between East Asian and other societies/cultures; and diasporic societies/cultures identified with East Asia.

The SEA is a group of anthropologists, archaeologists, economists, geographers and other scholars who are interested in the connections between economics and social life.

The purpose of this section of the American Anthropological Association is to encourage the further development of humanistic anthropology; aid in the dissemination of the results of scholarship and empirical research in humanistic anthropology through the publication of the Anthropology and Humanism Quarterly and by other appropriate means; serve as a vehicle for the organization of those individuals with a shared commitment to humanistic anthropology; and support the implementation of programs based upon the consensually recognized results of humanistic research in anthropology.

The first chapter of SLACA was founded by the American Anthropological Association (AAA) in 1969 to advance the study of Latin American anthropology. Recently, the Society's membership has offically approved the adoption of "Caribbean" to the Society's name to reflect the connections between the Latin American and Caribbean regions. SLACA provides a forum for discussion of current research, scholarly trends, and human rights concerns, as well as a space for interchange among scholars from and who work in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The purpose of the Society is to advance the study of language in its social and cultural context and to encourage communication of the results of such study.

This Web site serves the needs of medical anthropology graduate students, practicing anthropologists, scholars, and scholar activists who address issues of local, national and international health importance. It is the hub of an active research community and a storehouse for information supporting the endeavors of medical anthropologists and their colleagues in allied social science fields. The site further intends to inform the general public and policy-makers of the scope and breadth of medical anthropology. The site, like the field of medical anthropology, draws upon and benefits from a wide range of theories and methods. It also serves as a space to promote and foster collaboration and coalition-building.

SPA is a broad, multidisciplinary organization of individuals interested in cultural, psychological, and social interrelations at all levels.

The purposes of the organization, as announced in the organizing letter that went out to colleagues in 1986, were: Strengthening national and international networks between colleagues; providing forums for discussion and debate; encouraging comparative research; enhancing the visibility and legitimacy of Europeanist anthropology, both within the discipline and among other Europeanist groups; facilitating dissemination of information about employment opportunities, grants, visiting European scholars, and other resources; and promoting the professional integration of students specializing in Europe.

Encourages research and exchange of ideas, theories, methods and scientific information relevant to understanding the socio-cultural, behavioral and political-economic factors related to food and nutrition.

The goal of the Society for the Anthropology of North America is to address the need for a focused voice and institutional presence for the Anthropology of the United States, Canada and Mexico. While elements of our research tradition are addressed by applied, medical, educational, political and urban anthropology, among others, no previously organized anthropological society has focused upon this region as an "area." In order to place our research findings in historical perspective and to continue developing theoretically, it is important that we acknowledge our area context and begin to analyze it systematically within broad frameworks such as ethnicity, race, class, gender and structured inequality.

This section of the American Anthropological Association has been formed to facilitate teaching and research in the anthropological study of religion. This includes anthropological approaches to religion from all the subdisciplines: cultural anthropology, archaeology, physical anthropology, etc. We also intend to encourage and help provide avenues for enhanced communication among scholars sharing the interests of anthropology and religion.

The Society for the Anthropology of Work (SAW) provides a forum for discussing the study of work from a variety of perspectives.

Concerns itself with theories, problems, processes, and institutions of urban, national and transnational life.

The Society for Visual Anthropology (SVA), a section of the American Anthropological Association, promotes the study of visual representation and media.

Promotes anthropological research and education on homosexuality, bisexuality, transgender/transsexuality, and other sexual and gender identities and expressions, and their intersections with race, class, disability, nationality, colonialism and globalization.

LLILAS is a language and National Resource Center integrating more than 30 academic departments at UT and offering programs that lead to B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees.

Today, UNESCO functions as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter to forge universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. The Organization also serves as a clearinghouse – for the dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge – while helping Member States to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields.