Prof. Shea is a sociocultural anthropologist who specializes in global health, social gerontology, and medical and psychological anthropology. She directs the Health and Society Program and heads the Global Health Concentration in Anthropology and teaches courses in medical anthropology, global health, health and society, the anthropology of aging, and research methods. Prof. Jeanne Shea’s research interests revolve around health and healing, human development and aging, lifecycle and generational issues, marital and family relationships, caregiving in family and community context, and economic development and social change. In her research, she examines the influences of culture on experiences of health, illness, healing, caregiving, and health care. She is fascinated by cultural and generational differences in experiences of the lifecycle, in the different kinds of health concerns and social issues that mark lifecourse transitions, and in how people view and approach the challenges and opportunities posed by aging societies.
Jeanne Shea Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Anthropology