Margaret Mead Imagined Different Futures
For those anxious about the state of the world, Mead’s celebrated work shows how anthropology can help guide alternative futures.
Cultural Relativity
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How “Wilderness” Was Invented Without Indigenous Peoples
New research reveals how human activity need not always damage nature and may even benefit conservation—a message tied to Indigenous understandings that runs counter to the West’s longstanding myth of “pristine wilderness." -
Does Love Always Come Before Marriage?
Arranged marriages and love marriages are sometimes seen as cultural opposites, but it’s far more complicated. Anthropology shows how love and marriage are entwined in many different ways.
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What Rez Dogs Mean to the Lakota
Dogs on Native American reservations can be dangerous, but they have a long history and traditional role in many Indigenous communities. Remembering that is key to avoiding future violence.
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What Milk-Sharing Communities Reveal
As women in the United States create networks to give or receive breast milk, anthropologists are illuminating the complex social and cultural forces that shape mothers’ choices.
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India’s Third Gender Rises Again
Hijras are striving to overcome a century of discrimination and reclaim their holy status in society—through a mix of faith rituals and Facebook.