We study the role of society and culture in the human experience. Our signature method is ethnographic participant observation. We seek to share the lives of the communities where we study and convey their experiences to our students, colleagues, and the public. Our goal is to understand the spectrum of cultural differences.
We use that understanding to fight against ethnocentrism, racial prejudice, and other forms of discrimination. Faculty areas of expertise include ecology, medicine, religion, ethnicity, migration, planning, heritage, and tourism.
We have conducted research on every inhabited continent. We specialize in the design of museum exhibits, the production of documentary films, and engaged scholarship to benefit the communities where we work.
Labs and Facilities
Advanced Laboratory of Visual Anthropology (ALVA)(opens in new window)
Ethnography Laboratory
Faculty, Lecturers, and Staff
Ariane Bélanger-Vincent, PhD
Email: abelanger-vincent@csuchico.edu
Phone: 530-898-4038
Brian Brazeal, Ph.D., Director of the Advanced Laboratory of Visual Anthropology (ALVA)
Email: bcbrazeal@csuchico.edu
Phone: 530-898-4094
Jesse Dizard, Ph.D.
Email: jdizard@csuchico.edu
Phone: 530-898-5583
David Eaton, Ph.D., MPH
Email: daeaton@csuchico.edu
Phone: 530-898-4185
William Nitzky, Ph.D., Co-director of the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology
Email: wnitzky@csuchico.edu
Phone: 530-898-4953
Michael Pilakowski, MA
Email: mpilakowski@csuchico.edu
Beth Shook, Ph.D.
Email: bashook@csuchico.edu
Phone: 530-898-5711
Lisa Westwood, MA
Email: lwestwood@csuchico.edu
Melody Yeager, MA
Email: mryeager@csuchico.edu
Phone: 530-898-3505