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Anthropology: Associations/Organizations

Welcome to Anthropology Subject Guide

Anthropological Associations

This association is an organization of scholars and practitioners in the field of anthropology.

This association was founded by Franz Boas in 1902

Motto: Advancing Knowledge, Solving Human Problems.

American Anthropological Association

https://www.americananthro.org/

National Association for the Practice of Anthropology

Mission: To promote the practice of anthropology and the interests of practicing anthropologists, and to further the practice of anthropology as a profession.

National Association for the Practice of Anthropology

Archeological Institute of America (Nonprofit Organization)

Mission: The Archeological Institute of America is devoted to the promotion of public interest in archaeology, and the preservation of archeological sites.

Archeological Institute of America

American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS)

The AAFS is a multi-disciplinary professional organization that provides leadership to advance science and its application to the legal system.

American Academy of Forensic Sciences

The Society for Applied Anthropology is a US-based professional association for applied anthropology.

This was established to promote the integration of anthropological perspectives and methods in solving human problems throughout the world.

Membership includes academic as well as practicing and applied anthropologists.

Society for Applied Anthropology

Professional Organizations World Wide:

  • American Anthropological Association - The homepage of the most prominent professional organization for anthropologists in the world.
  • American Society of Primatologists - An educational organization dedicated to the gathering and exchanging of information about the primate species. Interests range from ecology and behavior to captive management, conservation and virology.
  • Cultural Survival - A non-profit organization founded in 1972 to defend the human rights and cultural autonomy of indigenous peoples and oppressed ethnic minorities. A new online journal Active Voices may be reached from this page.
  • National Association of State Archeologists - This site covers laws, procedures, educational programs, current research, and a directory of professionals for the U.S., Puerto Rico, America Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
  • Society for American Archeology - An intercultural organization funded in 1934 and dedicated to the protection, interpretation, and research of the archeological heritage of the Americas.
  • Society for Applied Anthropology - Founded in 1941 "to promote the investigation of the principles of human behavior and the application of these principles to contemporary issues and problems." News from the field and reports from the American Indian issues committee are among the features of this page.
  • Society for Archeological Sciences - A forum for communication among scholars applying methods from the physical sciences to archeology and the assessment by the archeological community of the problems and potential offered by its approach.
  • Society for Economic Anthropology - This organization takes as its field of study "understanding diversity and change in the economic system of the world." Extracts from the society newsletters are included.
  • Society for Historical Archeology - Founded  in 1967. SHA is the largest scholarly group concerned with the archeology of the modern world. Geographically, the society emphasizes on the New World, but also includes European exploration and settlement in Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
  • World Council of Anthropological Association (WCAA) network of national and international associations that aims to promote worldwide communication and cooperation in anthropology.
  • The Royal Anthropological Institute of Greate 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.

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