Value proposition

Advancing knowledge, solving human problems.

The American Anthropological Association is the world’s largest association for professional anthropologists, with more than 10,000 members. Based in Washington, DC, the Association was founded in 1902, and covers all four main fields of anthropology (cultural anthropology, biological/physical anthropology, archaeology, and linguistic anthropology).

While 75% of our members are employed in higher education or are students of anthropology, about 25% of our members work in the public, private, and non-governmental sectors, beyond the academy. The Association is organized into 40 sections, each reflecting specialized domains of knowledge. We publish a portfolio of 22 journals, offer career planning and professional development services, support college and university departments, award numerous prizes and fellowships, sponsor a paid summer internship program, a summer field school in ethnography and occupational therapy, and stage research conferences in the Fall and Spring each year. We also have a public education initiative that highlights the contributions made by anthropological research to important and enduring topics such as race and migration.

The Association is proud to belong to a number of inter-organizational collaborations, including the World Council of Anthropological Associations, the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, the Consortium of Social Science Associations, the National Humanities Alliance, and the American Council of Learned Societies.