Anthropology and Social Change

I currently work as an administrative aide to one of the local county supervisors in the North Bay of San Francisco, and have also been a social equity and indigenous activist for over 30 years. I am a single father of two children and call the East Bay my home. I chose CIIS as a place to achieve my own academic and professional development because of the university's progressive and out of the box curriculum. While anthropology has had controversial views within the indigenous communities of the Americas, as an indigenous person I find that this program not only challenges the academy of anthropology, but also begins to move to change anthropology's current formulation along, by incorporating participatory research and social change as part of the program's fundamental core values. This level of conscious praxis not only begins to address 500 years of colonization, but moves and attempts to eradicate it. Both the professors and staff at CIIS are helpful and attentive to most needs of students, especially working professionals like myself. My values and life experiences are taken into account and respected. I would recommend the doctoral program for anyone who is willing to meet the academic challenges and for those trying to change the world. Shampanayan (thank you).