D. Douglas Caulkins Is Co-Editor of "Companion to Organizational Anthropology"

D. Douglas Caulkins, professor emeritus of anthropology at Grinnell College, is co-editor of a new book, "A Companion to Organizational Anthropology," published by Wiley-Blackwell.

Co-edited with Ann Jordan, an anthropology professor at the University of North Texas, the work is the first comprehensive textbook to explore anthropological studies of complex organizations. Caulkins and Jordan say that this new focus heralds a coming-of-age for a relatively new sub-discipline.

Four years in the making, the book includes contributions from 38 international scholars, highlighting organizations as diverse as government agencies, non-profits and transnational corporations. The authors examine how these organizations interact and shape market, societal and global trends.

"I've been studying organizational life since my dissertation research on voluntary or non-profit organizations and community social capital in Norway," says Caulkins, whose recent work has included sustainability issues in organizations, as well as heritage organizations in post-conflict Northern Ireland.

In addition to co-editing the new book, Caulkins co-authored chapters on "Entrepreneurship Studies," "Sustaining Social Sector Organizations" and "Expanding the Field of Organizational Anthropology for the 21st Century."

Other Grinnellians are represented in the book: Davydd Greenwood '64 and associate anthropology professor Monty Roper also contributed chapters.

About D. Douglas Caulkins A member of the anthropology faculty at Grinnell since 1970, Caulkins also is emeritus director of the college's Donald L. Wilson Program in Enterprise and Leadership. He has written widely on topics ranging from Chippewa adolescent culture to high technology entrepreneurship and regional development in the United Kingdom, and has participated in applied anthropology projects, including a federally funded effort to develop new technology to help diabetics on Lakota Reservations better manage their health.

Caulkins has been a visiting scholar or fellow at universities in the U.S., Norway, Scotland, Wales, and England. He is a former president of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research, an international and interdisciplinary organization.

Caulkins has a strong interest in environmental stewardship, and served as a member of the college's Prairie Studies Community Advisory Board. Currently he teaches "alumni enriched" courses in entrepreneurship and organizational management in which alumni return to campus to participate in the courses, using their experience as case studies for the class. "The alumni are an important resource for showing current students how the liberal arts are used in a variety of creative careers," Caulkins explains.

Caulkins earned his B.A. degree at Carleton College and received a Ph.D. degree in anthropology from Cornell University.

About Grinnell College Since its founding in 1846, Grinnell has become one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges, enrolling 1,600 students from all 50 states and from as many international countries. Grinnell's rigorous academic program emphasizes excellence in education for students in the liberal arts; the college offers the B.A. degree in a range of departments across the humanities, arts and sciences. Grinnell has a strong tradition of social responsibility and action, and self-governance and personal responsibility are key components of campus life. More information about Grinnell College is available at www.grinnell.edu.

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