Audrey Smedley facts for kids

Audrey Smedley (1930 – October 14, 2020) was an American social anthropologist. This means she was a scientist who studied human societies and cultures. She was also a professor emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University. This title is given to a retired professor who still keeps their rank. She taught about anthropology and African-American studies.

Early Life and Learning

Audrey Smedley studied at the University of Michigan. She earned her first two degrees there in history and anthropology. Later, she went to the University of Manchester in the UK. There, she earned her PhD in social anthropology. Her research for this degree was done in northern Nigeria.

Professor Smedley taught many different classes. She taught about social anthropology and African societies. She also taught about the history of anthropology. Her classes covered how people think about human culture.

What She Studied

Audrey Smedley spent many years researching and writing. Since the late 1970s, she wrote about the history of anthropology. She also studied how the idea of different "human races" first started.

Her research also looked at other important topics. She studied how different groups of people adapted to their environments. She also researched the roles of women in societies where family lines are traced through the father. She also compared different forms of slavery throughout history.