Renato Rosaldo

1941-Present

Lucie Stern Professor in the Social Sciences – Cultural and Social Anthropology

 Picture of Renato Rosaldo

Strengths: Postmodern thinker, award-winning poet, devoted to cultural citizenship

Weaknesses: Ilongot rage; he felt the same way as his subjects

Special Features: Has an award named after him (and he’s still alive!)

Renato Rosaldo is one of the most renowned cultural anthropologists in today’s field, and a pioneering representative of postmodern anthropological study methods.  In this framework, Rosaldo analyzes his subjects both from the outside and, more importantly, introspectively.  He pays much attention to his personal cultural background in light of being surrounded by and observing other diverse cultures.  His most well known work, Ilongot Headhunting, captures the last cases of the Ilongot practice of vengeful killing.  He did most of his study of the Ilongot with his wife, Michelle, who was also an accomplished anthropologist.  Renato focuses many of his writings on the nature of globalization and its affect on culture and microculture.  Once a professor in the Stanford Anthropology Department, he currently teaches at New York University.

Selected Bibliography

Ilongot Headhunting 1883-1974: A Study of Society and History (1980)

Culture and Truth: The Remaking of Social Analysis (1993)

The Anthropology of Globalization (2007)

Cultural Citizenship in Island Southeast Asia: Nation and Belonging in the Hinterlands (2003)