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Academic Resources: graduate programs

Wayne State University

Medical Anthropology Program

Wayne State Anthropology is uniquely characterized by practice-based specializations that bring theory and anthropological methods to emerging issues and challenges that anthropologists are increasingly called to address in the contemporary world. The Medical Anthropology Program at Wayne State (David A. Barondess, Sherylyn H. Briller, Mark Luborsky, Jessica Price and Andrea Sankar) is one of these. The Department offers a M.A. in Applied Medical Anthropology and a Ph.D. in Anthropology specializing in Medical Anthropology. These programs are part of a four-field departmental emphasis that provides students with a strong, multi-disciplinary background to link anthropological theory and method in the study of health and illness both within and outside of the United States.

The Applied Medical Anthropology Program gives students opportunities to have hands-on experience conducting research in health care settings. The Ph.D. program offers more in-depth training in social science and/or bio-cultural theory, research conceptualization, methods, design and grant writing as well as in several substantive areas.

The Medical Anthropology Program has strengths in life course studies, gerontology, HIV/AIDS disease, disability studies, health care organizations, globalization, health disparities, urban health, women's health, mental health, medical technology and death and dying. The physical and medical anthropology programs work closely together. This collaboration provides expertise in the areas of bone biology and adaptation, ethnicity and health, social epidemiology and forensic studies. The strong emphasis on theory and the development of critical analytical skills enables the students to move into independent research projects, many of which receive competitive outside funding.

Faculty conduct active research programs funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, state and local government as well as private foundations and industry. Researchers actively collaborate with community and government groups involved in health concerns at state, national and international levels. Opportunities for training and research support are available under multiple ongoing research studies funded by several NIH agencies and foundations.

A unique feature of the Wayne State University Medical Anthropology Program is its collaboration with the Business, Organizational and Industrial Anthropology Program. The "Business" Program focuses on the study of institutional cultures, culture and information technology and organizational learning and transformation. A joint Ph.D. program exists between medical and business anthropology that allows students to specialize in the organization of health institutions and systems. As the only program in the nation that combines Medical and Business, Industrial and Organizational anthropology, our students are in the forefront of learning how to incorporate information technology in studying healthcare organizations.

Strong ties exist with medical anthropologists (some jointly appointed) in other campus programs including the Research Program on Aging and Health Disparities headed by Dr. Mark Luborsky in the Institute of Gerontology. The medical anthropology program also has close research and training ties to the WSU School of Medicine, the College of Nursing and the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions.

Degrees Offered:
M.A., Ph.D.

Program Objectives:
To create a unique 21st century curriculum in Medical Anthropology that integrates strengths from our cultural, biocultural and healthcare organization research specializations. To provide students with strong methodological skills informed by rigorous training in theory and critical thinking based on substantive engagement with local, national and international issues in Medical Anthropology.

Medical Anthropology Program Description:
Wayne State University Anthropology is uniquely characterized by practice based specializations that bring theory and anthropological methods to emerging issues and challenges in the contemporary world. The department offers a Masters Degree in Applied Medical Anthropology and a Doctorate in Anthropology. These programs are part of a four-field department that specializes in providing medical anthropology students with a strong, multi-disciplinary background that links anthropological theory and method in the study of health and illness within and outside of the United States.

The Applied Medical Anthropology Masters Program is designed for individuals interested in applying medical anthropology to practice in health related settings. Program objectives are to provide graduates with practical anthropological skills and perspectives to be used to solve problems and improve services in a variety of health related settings. This practice oriented degree gives students hands-on experience in a health care setting and prepares them for work in health care agencies, clinical settings, community health organizations and health policy evaluation. The Ph.D. program offers more in-depth training in social science and/or bio-cultural theory, research methods, design, conceptualization, and grant writing, as well as in several substantive areas within medical anthropology.

The Medical Anthropology Programs has strengths in lifecourse studies, gerontology, HIV/AIDS disease, disability studies, health care organizations, ethnicity and health, urban health, women’s health, international health, medical technology, death and dying. The physical and the medical anthropology programs work closely together. This collaboration provides expertise in the areas of bone biology and adaptation, ethnicity and health, and social epidemiology. The strong emphasis on theory and the development of critical analytical skills enables the students to move into independent research projects, many of which receive competitive outside funding.

Medical Anthropology Program Faculty:
Andrea Sankar, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology, Director of Medical Anthropology Program
Research Interests: cultural creation and maintenance of systemic inequalities, HIV epidemic, caregiving, impact of information technology on healthcare, African-American health, caregiving, death and dying, practice theory, women’s health
Phone: 313-577-6961

David Barondess, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Research Associate, Department of Internal Medicine
Research Interests: biocultural anthropology, biomechanics and skeletal biology, ethnicity and osteoporosis, forensics
Phone: 313-577-2552

Sherylyn Briller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Adjunct Faculty, Institute of Gerontology
Research Interests: cross-cultural gerontology, familial and governmental old age support mechanisms, long term care, dementia studies, death and dying, African-American health, Mongolia/Central Asia
Phone: 313-993-4069

Mark Luborsky, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology, Director of Aging and Health Disparities Research, Institute of Gerontology
Research Interests: cultural constructs & practices related to effective individual and group functioning across the life-span and aging, physical and mental health, disability, loss and life reorganization in normative and non-normative life transitions, narrative, life history and ethnographic methods development
Phone: 313-577-6790

Jessica Price, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anthropology, ON LEAVE
Research Interests: popular medical culture, globalization, commodities and consumption, pharmaceuticals, international health, STI/HIV/AIDS prevention and care, Central Africa

Beth Kangas, Ph.D., Lecturer
Phone: 313-577-9821

Healthcare Organization Program Faculty:
Andrea Sankar, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology, Director of HAART Project, Health and Information Technology, Health Care Organizations
Phone: 313-577-6961 (Office)
Phone: 313-577-2363 (Positive Care Project)

Allen Batteau, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anthropology and Engineering, Director, Institute for Information Technology and Culture
Research Interests: business anthropology, technology and society, stratification in contemporary society
Phone: 313-577-2352

David Brawn, Ph.D., Project Director - HAART Project, Institute for Information Technology and Culture
Research Interests: medical anthropology, ethnicity and identity politics, Indonesia
Phone: 313-577-2935

Julia Gluesing, Ph.D., Lecturer in Anthropology, Project Director, Institute for Information Technology and Culture
Research Interests: global teams, organizational and intercultural communication, management of technology change
Phone: 313-577-2935

Adjunct Medical Anthropology Program Faculty:
Karen Aroian, Ph.D., Professor of Nursing
Research Interests: immigrant and minority health, stress, coping, psycho-social adaptation, health care utilization, health and illness behavior, cross-cultural research methods, measurement and instrument development
Phone: 313-577-6251

David Brawn, Ph.D., Research Director, Institute for Information Technology and Culture
Research Interests: medical anthropology, ethnicity and identity politics, Indonesia
Phone: 313-577-2935

Kimberly Campbell-Voytal, Ph.D., RN, Interim Executive Director of Community Health Instititutes, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine
Research Interests: health beliefs and behaviors, therapeutic communication, social action and community development, public health
Phone: 313-577-9454

Cathy Lysack, Ph.D., OT(C), Associate Professor, Institute of Gerontology and Department of Occupational Therapy
Research Interests: culture and disability, disability rights, community based rehabilitation, community organization for health, aging and ethnicity
Phone: 313-577-6794

Dorothy Nelson, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Research Interests: osteoporosis, bone density, body composition, growth, breast cancer, ethnicity and disease
Phone: 313-577-1133

Stewart Neufeld, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Institute of Gerontology
Research Interests: risk perceptions and behaviors, adherence to medication, decision-making in health
Phone: 313-875-3902

Sharon Popp, Ph.D., Director of Undergraduate Medical Education, Department of Family Medicine
Research Interests: alcohol and other substance abuse, occupational culture, medical school curriculum, complementary and alternative medicine, women’s health, interpersonal violence, preventive medicine and public health, cultural competence
Phone: 313-577-1425

Stephanie Schim, Ph.D., RN, CNAA, Assistant Professor of Nursing
Research Interests: community health, nursing leadership and organization, end of life issues, cultural competence in healthcare
Phone: 313-577-4034

Research and Funding:
Wayne State University is designated by the Carnegie Foundation as a Research I institution, a distinction that is granted to only 88 universities of the 3,600 US institutions of higher learning. Anthropology faculty conduct active research programs funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Mental Health, state and local governments, as well as private foundation grants and industry. Researchers actively collaborate with community and government groups involved in health concerns at local, state, national and international levels. Opportunities for training and research support are available under multiple ongoing research studies funded by several NIH agencies and foundations.

Organizational Anthropology and Technology:
A unique feature of the Wayne State University Medical Anthropology Program is its collaboration with the Business and Organizational Anthropology program. The Business and Organizational Anthropology program focuses on the study of institutional cultures, culture and information technology and organizational learning and transformation. A joint Ph.D. program exists between medical and business anthropology that allows students to specialize in the organization of health institutions and systems. As the only program in the country that combines both Medical and Business, Industrial and Organizational anthropology, our students are in the forefront of learning how to incorporate information technology in studying healthcare organizations.

Program Courses:
MA Requirements:

The MA in Applied Medical Anthropology is designed for individuals interested in applying medical anthropology to practice in health related settings. Program objectives are to provide graduates with practical anthropological skills and perspectives to be used to solve problems and improve services in a variety of health related settings. This practice oriented degree will prepare students for work in health care agencies, clinical settings, community health organizations and health policy evaluation.

Prerequisites: Students must have at least a Bachelor’s degree. Other prerequisites include: *A grade point average of 3.0 or higher * A desire to work in health related settings * An interest in bringing cross-cultural perspectives to health issues in communities.

Course Requirements: The MA in Applied Medical Anthropology can be completed in two years. This 32 credit program has the following course requirements: * ANTH 5140 Biology and Culture * ANTH 5210 Anthropological Research Methods * ANTH 5220 Community Health Ethnography * ANTH 5320 Language and Societies * ANTH 5400 Culture, Health and Illness * ANTH 5700 Applied Anthropology * Statistics Course * Three Electives

PhD Requirements:

The Ph.D. in Anthropology with a specialization in Medical Anthropology offers more in-depth training in social science and/or bio-cultural theory, research methods, design, conceptualization, and grant writing, as well as in several substantive areas within medical anthropology. Students in the Ph.D. program must complete all of the degree requirements for the four field Master of Arts in Anthropology and the Doctor of Philosophy (see Graduate Program in Anthropology for these requirements) and also the specialized sequence in Medical Anthropology (Anthropology 7680 and 7690).

Prerequisites: Students must have at least a Master’s degree. Other prerequisites include: * A grade point average of 3.5 or higher * A desire to conduct independent research in health related settings * A theoretical interest in cultural perspectives on health issues.

University Wide Resources (www.wayne.edu)
Wayne State University is one of the nation’s leading urban research universities. The university’s more than 34,000 students have the best of two worlds - a traditional college campus in a vibrant urban setting. Located in the heart of Detroit’s Cultural Center, Wayne State’s neighbors include the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Historical Museum, Museum of African-American History, main branch of the Detroit Public Library and a dozen other public cultural attractions. A wealth of on-campus resources are available to students pursuing graduate degrees at Wayne State. The university’s library system, which includes general, medical, science, law, and labor and urban affairs libraries, offers one of the country’s finest collections of research materials. Wayne State’s computing services are far-reaching with all computer operating systems accessible from the university’s region-wide data communication network.

Strong ties exist with medical anthropologists in other campus programs including the Research Program on Aging and Health Disparities headed by Dr. Mark Luborsky in the Institute of Gerontology (www.iog.wayne.edu). This program focuses on sociocultural and psychological issues related to personal meaning, development, aging, disability, and mental health. There is an emphasis on in-depth interviews, narratives and systematic ethnographic research and analyses. Extensive archives of ethnographic data include a repository of over 2,500 life narratives and also illness narratives. Opportunities for training and support are available under multiple on-going research studies funded by several NIH agencies and foundations.

The WSU School of Medicine (http://www.med.wayne.edu) is the country’s largest single-campus medical school with a total enrollment of more than 1,000 medical students. It is the fourth largest of 125 medical schools in the country and is among the top quarter in total research expenditures. WSU students represent more than 20 different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. With one of the most ethnically diverse-student bodies, the WSU School of Medicine is a national leader in graduating African American medical students as well as students from other underrepresented minority groups. Faculty in the medical anthropology program have ongoing research at the WSU School of Medicine and have been able to provide opportunities for medical anthropology students to work on projects there.

Medical anthropology students may also utilize a variety of interdisciplinary resources from programs on campus including Community Medicine, Center for Nursing Research, Center for Healthcare Effectiveness, Addiction Research Center, Center for Urban Studies, Council on Early Childhood, Institute of Gerontology, Medical Sociology, Health Care Economics, Health Sciences, Health Care Communication, Political Science, Social Work, Criminal Justice, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Mortuary Science.

Graduate Careers:
Our alumni work in a diverse range of settings including the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, State of Michigan Department of Health, City of Detroit Mayor’s Office, City of Detroit Health Department, Wayne State University School of Medicine,hospitals and other health care agencies, as well as universities - University of Arizona, Oakland University and Michigan State University.

Program Address:

Dr. Andrea Sankar, Director of Medical Anthropology Program
Department of Anthropology
Wayne State University
Room 137, Manoogian Hall
906 W Warren Avenue
Detroit, MI 48202
Telephone: 313-577-6961
Fax: 313-577-5958
http://anthro.wayne.edu/
(revised November, 2004)