Louise Lamphere facts for kids

Louise Lamphere (born 1940) is an American anthropologist. An anthropologist is a scientist who studies human societies and cultures. She has been a distinguished professor of anthropology at the University of New Mexico since 2001. She worked at the University of New Mexico from 1976 to 1979, and again from 1986 to 2009. After 2009, she became a professor emerita, which means she retired but still holds her title.

Professor Lamphere also served as the president of the American Anthropological Association. This is a big organization for anthropologists in the United States. She held this role from 1999 to 2001.

Louise Lamphere's Career

Louise Lamphere studied at two famous universities. She earned her first degrees from Stanford University in 1962 and 1966. Then, she received her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1968. A Ph.D. is the highest university degree you can get.

She has written many articles and books. Her studies cover different topics. For example, she has researched the Navajo people and their traditional medicine. She also looked at how cities change when factories close. This is called de-industrialisation and urban anthropology.

Studying Gender and Women's Roles

Professor Lamphere is especially known for her work on feminist anthropology. This field looks at how gender affects people's lives in different cultures. She also studies gender issues in general.

In 1977, she became part of the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press. This group works to increase the role of women in media.

She helped edit a very important book called Woman, Culture, and Society. She worked on this book with Michelle Rosaldo. It was one of the first books to deeply explore how anthropologists study gender and the status of women.

Fighting for Fairness at Brown University

In the 1970s, Professor Lamphere faced a challenge. She was denied a permanent teaching position at Brown University. She believed this was unfair and due to gender discrimination. So, she took legal action against the university.

She won her case. The solution reached in her lawsuit became a guide for other similar cases. In 2015, Brown University held events to remember her lawsuit. They recognized its important impact on fairness for all teachers.

Researching Healthcare in New Mexico

In 2005, Professor Lamphere led a team of researchers. They studied how a healthcare program called Medicaid worked in New Mexico. Specifically, they looked at how "managed care" affected people.

Her team published their findings in a special magazine. She pointed out how more rules and paperwork affected women working in healthcare. This included women in clinics, emergency rooms, and small doctor's offices.

In 2017, she was chosen as a member of the School for Advanced Research. This is a place where scholars can do important research.

Awards and Honors

Louise Lamphere has received many awards for her important work.

In 2013, she won the Franz Boas Award. This award is given for excellent service to anthropology. It comes from the American Anthropological Association.

On May 24, 2015, Brown University gave her an honorary doctorate degree. This is a special award given to people who have achieved great things. They honored her for her "courage in standing up for equity and fairness." They also praised her studies of cities, healthcare, and gender.

In 2017, she received the Bronislaw Malinowski Award. This award is given by The Society for Applied Anthropology.

Selected Works

• Sunbelt Working Mothers: Reconciling Family and Factory. This book was co-written with Patricia Zavella, Felipe Gonzales, and Peter B. Evans. It was published in 1993.
• Newcomers in the Workplace: Immigrants and the Restructuring of the U.S. Economy. She co-edited this book with Guillermo Grenier in 1994.
• Situated Lives: Gender and Culture in Everyday Life. This book was edited with Helena Ragone' and Patricia Zavella in 1997.
• "Gender Models in the Southwest: Sociocultural Perspectives". This chapter was part of a book called Women & Men in the Prehispanic Southwest, published in 2001.
• "Rereading and Remembering Michelle Rosaldo". This chapter was in the book Gender Matters: Rereading Michelle Z. Rosaldo, published in 2001.
• "Perils and Prospects for an Engaged Anthropology: A view from the U.S.". This was a special speech she gave in 2002, published in 2003.
• "Woman, Culture, and Society". She co-edited this very important book with Michelle Zimbalist Rosaldo. It was published in 1974.
• "Unofficial Histories: A Vision of Anthropology From the Margins." This was her speech as president of the American Anthropological Association in 2001, published in 2004.