Carol R. Ember
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Carol R. Ember (born July 7, 1943) is an American cultural
anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and ...
, cross-cultural researcher and a writer of books on anthropology. She is now the President of the Human Relations Area Files at
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...



Biography

Carol R. Ember was born on July 7, 1943. Initially, she studied at Antioch College as a chemistry major. She then switched majors to sociology/anthropology. After studying
sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
for one year in the graduate school at
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
she moved to
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
for doctoral studies on
anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...
, basically under the guidance of John and Beatrice Whiting. For her doctoral thesis, she went to Kenya to work and study children's behavior among the Luo people. This study indicated that several boys were engaged in duties which otherwise the girls would perform, like caring for children and domestic works as their mothers were mostly engaged in agriculture work and there were not so many girls in the family who could help her. Ember studied this social pattern in depth by systematic behavioral observations of the boys in comparison with the girls. She noted that boys who did the work normally assigned to girls were "intermediate in many social behaviors, compared with the other boys and girls". Following this study, she continued her research in the field of cross-cultural anthropology, studying "variation in marriage, family, descent groups, and war and peace." Much of her cross-cultural research was done with
Melvin Ember Melvin Lawrence Ember (January 13, 1933 – September 27, 2009) was an American cultural anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher with wide-ranging interests who combined an active research career with writing for nonprofessionals. Biography ...
, whom she married in 1970; he died in 2009. Her most recent interdisciplinary research, supported by the National Science Foundation, has been on the effect of natural hazards on culture. Ember started her professional career by teaching at the Hunter College of the
City University of New York The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven Upper divis ...
and worked there from 1970 to 1996. , Ember was president of the Society of Cross-Cultural Research and was one of the directors of the Summer Institutes in Comparative Anthropological Research, which received funding from the
National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...
. From 1996 to 2009 she worked as Executive Director of the Human Relations Area Files, Inc., (HRAF) a nonprofit research agency of
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
. She became President of HRAF in 2010. Ember was the President-Elect, President and Past-President of th
Society for Anthropological Sciences
from 2009 to 2015. Ember is engaged now as the editor of the journa
''Cross-Cultural Research''


Publications

Ember has coauthored many books. These include: ''Cultural Anthropology'' with Melvin Ember as co-author, which is now in its 15th edition; ''Anthropology'' with Melvin Ember and
Peter N. Peregrine Peter N. Peregrine (born November 29, 1963) is an American anthropologist, Register of Professional Archaeologists, registered professional archaeologist, and academic. He is well known for his promotion of the use of science in anthropology, and ...
as coauthors also is in its 15th edition; Cross-Cultural Research Methods, with Melvin Ember as co-author, which is in its 2nd edition; Physical Anthropology and Archaeology with Melvin Ember and Peter N. Peregrine as co-authors; ''Human Culture: Highlights of Cultural Anthropology'' with Melvin Ember as co-author; ''Human Evolution and Culture: Highlights of Anthropology'' with Melvin Ember and Peter N. Peregrine as co-authors. She has also co-edited ''Archaeology: Original Readings in Method and Practice'' (Peter N. Peregrine is the first editor; also with Melvin Ember). This book has 25 articles by well-known archaeologists covering a complete range of archaeological methods and related issues and controversies in present day archaeology. Another edited reader is ''Physical Anthropology: Original Readings in Method and Practice'' (Peter N. Peregrine is the first editor; also with Melvin Ember). A Canadian edition of ''Physical Anthropology and Archaeology'' is co-authored with Peregrine and Robert D. Hoppa. This is available in CD Rom format also and is an introductory to physical anthropology and archaeology with particular detailing on "human evolution, major revolutions in human cultural evolution, contemporary variation in humans, and practical applications of anthropology and archaeology." Ember has also edited or co-edited a number of encyclopedias: ''Encyclopedia of Urban Cultures'', ''Encyclopedia of Medical Anthropology'', ''Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender'', ''Encyclopedia of Diasporas,'' and ''Countries and Their Cultures.''


Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ember, Carol R. Living people 1943 births 21st-century American women American women anthropologists American women social scientists American women sociologists Antioch College alumni Cross-cultural studies Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Social anthropologists Yale University alumni