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Department of Anthropology

Research Groups

The Department of Anthropology is one of the very few anthropology departments in the UK that deals with both biological and social areas of the subject, and we are recognised for the degree to which we integrate these complementary perspectives. While some of our research groups have and explicit interdisciplinary agenda, interdisciplinarity is also fostered through interactions between groups and through interdisciplinary research clusters, seminars series and debating groups.

The Department of Anthropology has several research groups, each of which provides a forum in which Durham anthropologists can coordinate research efforts and exchange ideas.

Anthropology in Development (AID)

The Anthropology in Development research group examines the impact of international development on natural resources management, health issues and rural society in S Asia, SW Pacific, W, E & S Africa, Latin America and Europe, with substantial findings for non-academic users, including DFID, NGOs and EU governments.

Evolutionary Anthropology (EARG)

The Evolutionary Anthropology research group carries outwork on topics as diverse as the origins and prehistoric dispersals of human species and populations; the comparative analysis of primate social structures, physical traits and behaviours; the evolution of the brain and cognitive faculties; and the transmission of culture through social learning.

Medical Anthropology (MARG)

The Medical Anthropology research group aims to advance the boundaries of medical anthropology by engagement in public and policy health-related issues, and apply the unique biosocial and evolutionary perspectives of our department to addressing novel strategies for understanding and improving health at home and in the international arena.

Public Culture (PCTP)

The Public Culture research group studies public cultures which, although expressed in a number of localities, are not bound to any single territory or national context. The study of such globally dispersed groupings is vital to understand such politically and culturally significant phenomena as ethnically defined diasporas, new religious movements and many NGOs and Voluntary Organisations.