Christine Finnan is a cultural anthropologist who focuses on education and childhood. She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University and is currently a professor at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. She holds a joint appointment in the department of sociology and anthropology, and the  department of teacher education. Her research focuses on school cultures and the effect of schools on students’ sense of self. With the support of a Fulbright-Nehru research grant, she recently completed fieldwork in Odisha, India, examining the school culture and effects on students of a residential school for 25,000 tribal children.