Anthropology Faculty

F. Allan Hanson

Curriculum Vitae (.pdf)

He's not heavy; he's my brother
He's not heavy; he's my brother

Professor
Socio-Cultural Anthropology

Ph.D., Chicago 1966

Research Areas: Social anthropology, semiotics, social impact of technology, social theory; Polynesia, contemporary US

hanson@ku.edu | Fraser Hall, #639 | (785) 864-2636

The primary area of my current research is the social impact of technological developments in contemporary society. I began with technologies of testing, then turned to new reproductive technologies (especially donor insemination), and most recently have been working on information technology. Throughout my career I have been interested in social theory and the philosophy of social science, particularly the relation between culture and the individual, the nature of anthropological understanding, and cultural relativism. My other career-long interest has been in Polynesia, particularly French Polynesia (where I did my initial fieldwork), and the New Zealand Maori. I am interested in Polynesian social organization, art, the ritual status of women, and mythology and religion.

Courses regularly offered

  • Theory in Anthropology
  • Technology and Society in the Contemporary World
  • The Social Construction of the Self
  • Culture Wars

 

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