
Program Objectives
- Provide applied learning experiences for students through collaborative, community-based field research using medical, cultural, visual, and environmental anthropological methods.
- Engender holistic understanding of the complex social, economic, cultural, political and environmental influences on the human experience.
- Contribute to raising awareness of issues surrounding indigenous and transnational communities in the region and cultural awareness in general.
- Engage in collaborative, community-based approaches to medical, cultural, and environmental issues.
- Use quantitative and qualitative research methods, including ethnographic fieldwork, community-based needs assessment, interviewing, focus groups, applied archaeology, and social documentation to address long-term community interests.
- Commit to partnerships between the university, students, and community aimed at regional enhancement through collaborative research and action.
- Respect the many ways of knowing and doing that we encounter in professional, civic, and daily life.