Katherine Ann Dettwyler

Last updated
Katherine Ann Dettwyler
Born (1955-02-03) February 3, 1955 (age 68)
United States
Nationality American
Occupation(s) Anthropologist, professor

Katherine Ann Dettwyler is an American anthropologist and advocate of breastfeeding. [1] She was an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware. In 2017, she gained media attention for her comments regarding Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old college student who received fatal brain damage while imprisoned in North Korea. [2] [3]

Contents

Background and education

Katherine Ann Dettwyler was born on February 3, 1955. She earned her BS in Anthropology from the University of California, Davis, in 1977, her MA from Indiana University Bloomington in 1981, and her Ph.D. in Anthropology also from IU Bloomington in 1985. [4]

Professional career

Dettwyler taught as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology of the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi from 1985 to 1987. [4] She taught at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas in the Anthropology department from 1987 until 2000, [4] when she took early retirement from her position as a tenured Associate Professor and moved to Delaware with her husband and children. [5]

Through the 1990s she was a nutritional anthropologist/consultant to a number of organizations providing nutrition education in Mali, while performing field research there. [6] She taught part-time as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Delaware, and continued to write and speak at conferences and universities.

Advocacy of breastfeeding

Dettwyler is known for her work studying the duration of breastfeeding in humans as it relates to other mammals, principally the nonhuman primates. According to her research, the natural age of weaning is 2½ to 7 years old as determined by weight gain, length of gestation, dental eruption, and other factors. [7]

Personal life

Kathy Dettwyler is married to Steven Dettwyler, Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology, and the mother of three children. [8] [9] In 1999, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. [5]

Comments on death of Otto Warmbier

In June 2017, Dettwyler's comments on the case of Otto Warmbier attracted media attention. Warmbier was an American college student visiting North Korea who was arrested for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster in a staff-only area of his hotel. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, but was released and returned to the United States almost a year and a half later. He was returned in a comatose state and died shortly after his repatriation. [10]

Dettwyler wrote about the case on her personal Facebook page and in the comments section of a National Review article. She said Warmbier was "typical of a mindset of a lot of the young, white, rich, clueless males who come into my classes"; that "these are the same kids who cry about their grades because they didn’t think they’d really have to read and study the material to get a good grade", and that Warmbier's parents "ultimately are to blame for his growing up thinking he could get away with whatever he wanted. Maybe in the US, where young, white, rich, clueless white males routinely get away with raping women. Not so much in North Korea." [11] In a since-deleted post to her Facebook page she asked "is it wrong of me to think that Otto Warmbier got exactly what he deserved?" [12]

Dettwyler had been an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware, without tenure, and was not employed between terms. After her comments became public, the university announced that her contract would not be renewed. [13] [14]

Publications

Books

Selected academic journal articles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biological anthropology</span> Branch of anthropology that studies the physical development of the human species

Biological anthropology, also known as physical anthropology, is a scientific discipline concerned with the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings, their extinct hominin ancestors, and related non-human primates, particularly from an evolutionary perspective. This subfield of anthropology systematically studies human beings from a biological perspective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weaning</span> Process of abandoning maternal nourishment in mammals

Weaning is the process of gradually introducing an infant human or another mammal to what will be its adult diet while withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk.

Salutatorian is an academic title given in the United States, Armenia, and the Philippines to the second-highest-ranked graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average (GPA) and number of credits taken, but consideration may also be given to other factors such as co-curricular and extracurricular activities. The title comes from the salutatorian's traditional role as the first speaker at a graduation ceremony, delivering the salutation. In a high school setting, a salutatorian may also be asked to speak about the current graduating class or to deliver an invocation or benediction. In some instances, the salutatorian may even deliver an introduction for the valedictorian. The general themes of a salutation and valediction are usually of growth, outlook towards the future, and thankfulness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katherine Dunham</span> American dancer and choreographer (1909–2006)

Katherine Mary Dunham was an American dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, and social activist. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers of the 20th century, and directed her own dance company for many years. She has been called the "matriarch and queen mother of black dance."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Reichs</span> American writer and forensic anthropologist

Kathleen Joan Reichs is an American crime writer, forensic anthropologist and academic. She is an adjunct professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is well known for inspiring the television series Bones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony F. C. Wallace</span> Canadian-American anthropologist (1923–2015)

Anthony Francis Clarke Wallace was a Canadian-American anthropologist who specialized in Native American cultures, especially the Iroquois. His research expressed an interest in the intersection of cultural anthropology and psychology. He was famous for the theory of revitalization movements.

Biocultural anthropology can be defined in numerous ways. It is the scientific exploration of the relationships between human biology and culture. "Instead of looking for the underlying biological roots of human behavior, biocultural anthropology attempts to understand how culture affects our biological capacities and limitations."

Barry S. Hewlett is Professor of Anthropology at Washington State University, earned his A.B. and M.A. degrees at California State University, Chico and his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is best known for his study of the Aka people of Central Africa. He has worked with his wife, Dr. Bonnie Hewlett, who concentrates her study on the Aka women and health issues. His publications include six books, 24 chapters in books and 27 scholarly journal articles.

<i>Patterns of Sexual Behavior</i> 1951 book by Clellan S. Ford and Frank A. Beach

Patterns of Sexual Behavior is a 1951 book by anthropologist Clellan S. Ford and ethologist Frank A. Beach, in which the authors integrate information about human sexual behavior from different cultures, and include detailed comparisons across animal species, with particular emphasis on primates. The book received positive reviews and has been called a classic. It provided the foundation for the later research of Masters and Johnson.

Nina Lilian Etkin was an anthropologist and biologist. Etkin was noted for her work in medical anthropology, ethnobiology, and ethnopharmacology. She studied the relation between food and health for over thirty years. Her work involved complementary and alternative medicines for prevention and treatment in Hawai‘i; the use of ethnomedicines in Indonesia; and health issues in Nigeria. She won numerous grants and awards from national and international agencies and published several books as well as over 80 professional articles in peer reviewed journals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extended breastfeeding</span> Defined as after age 12–24 months

In Western countries extended breastfeeding usually means breastfeeding after the age of 12 to 24 months, depending on the culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katherine Willis, Baroness Willis of Summertown</span> British ecologist (born 1964)

Katherine Jane Willis, Baroness Willis of Summertown, is a British biologist, academic and life peer, who studies the relationship between long-term ecosystem dynamics and environmental change. She is Professor of Biodiversity in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford, and an adjunct professor in biology at the University of Bergen. In 2018 she was elected Principal of St Edmund Hall, and took up the position from 1 October. She held the Tasso Leventis Chair of Biodiversity at Oxford and was founding Director, now Associate Director, of the Biodiversity Institute Oxford. Willis was Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew from 2013 to 2018. Her nomination by the House of Lords Appointments Commission as a crossbench life peer was announced on 17 May 2022.

Michael "Mickey" Bergman is the Vice President and Executive Director of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement. He also teaches as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service, where his graduate level courses focus on the art of emotional intelligence in International Relations and negotiations. He has pioneered the field of Fringe Diplomacy, an area of global engagement that connects people in arenas typically left void by governments and NGOs. Mickey Bergman has become known as an expert in the fields of Cuba, North Korea, and Myanmar. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, alongside Former Governor Bill Richardson; Mickey has led his team at the Richardson Center to facilitate the release of more political prisoners than any other organization, including American Student, Otto Warmbier, from North Korea, and Princeton student, Xiyue Wang, from Iran. Mickey creates new political capital by leading Professional Exchange Programs to frontier countries such as North Korea, Myanmar, Cuba, Lebanon, and others. He has worked as Executive Director of the Global Alliances Program at the Aspen Institute. He is also the Founder and President of the Solel Strategic Group (SSG). Mickey has published numerous articles, interviews, and opinion pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Boston Globe, Foreign Policy Online, and Huffington Post. Mickey also has been featured as a subject matter expert for television interviews on CNN, ABC, CBS, Fox News, I24news, Global News, and ABC News Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alisse Waterston</span> American professor of anthropology

Alisse Waterston is an American professor of anthropology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. Her work focuses on how systemic violence and inequality influence society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otto Warmbier</span> American college student who was imprisoned in North Korea

Otto Frederick Warmbier was an American college student who was imprisoned in North Korea in 2016 on a charge of subversion. In June 2017, he was released by North Korea in a vegetative state, and died soon after his parents requested his feeding tube be removed.

Rachel J. Watkins is an American biocultural anthropologist and educator. Her research focuses on the physiological impact of poverty and inequality on the human body, with an emphasis "on the biological and social history of African Americans living in the 19th and 20th century urban US".

Dr. Faye Venetia Harrison is an American anthropologist. Her research interests include political economy, power, diaspora, human rights, and the intersections of race, gender, and class. She is currently Professor of African American Studies and Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She formerly served as Joint Professor of Anthropology and African American Studies at the University of Florida. Harrison received her BA in Anthropology in 1974 from Brown University, and her MA and PhD in Anthropology from Stanford University in 1977 and 1982, respectively. She has conducted research in the US, UK, and Jamaica. Her scholarly interests have also taken her to Cuba, South Africa, and Japan.

B. Holly Smith is an American biological anthropologist. She is currently a research professor in the Center for Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology at The George Washington University. She is also a visiting research professor at the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology. The majority of her work is concentrated in evolutionary biology, paleoanthropology, life history, and dental anthropology.

Jada Benn Torres is an American genetic anthropologist and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Vanderbilt University. She serves as Director of the Laboratory of Genetic Anthropology and Biocultural Studies. Her research considers the genetic ancestry of African and Indigenous people

References

  1. ↑ Weise, Elizabeth (May 12, 2012). "It's Only Unusual for US". Burlington Free Press . p. 2A – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Professor who said 'clueless white male' Otto Warmbier got 'what he deserved' won't be rehired". Washington Post. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Inside the mind of Kathy Dettwyler - Curriculum Vitae 2014". 21 September 2016. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. 1 2 3 "Curriculum Vita" (PDF). kathydettwyler.weebly.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 19, 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Katherine A. Dettwyler - Info" . Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Author to relate experiences with malnourished African children". Kent Island Bay Times . April 6, 2011. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "A Natural Age of Weaning Archived 2012-03-30 at the Wayback Machine ", by Katherine Dettwyler, brief version of chapter "A Time to Wean", in Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives, pp. 39–73, ed. Patricia Stuart-Macadam and Katherine A. Dettwyler, 1995, ISBN   978-0-20201192-9
  8. ↑ "About the author". kathydettwyler.weebly.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Katherine A. Dettwyler: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle". Amazon. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  10. ↑ Stolberg, Sheryl Gay, "Otto Warmbier, American Student Released From North Korea, Dies". The New York Times, June 19, 2017. Print version "American Student Dies After Being Released From North Korea in Coma" published in New York edition on June 20, 2017, on page A-14.
  11. ↑ "U. Delaware prof under fire for saying Otto Warmbier got 'what he deserved' in N. Korea". 24 June 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  12. ↑ Laughlin, Jason, "U. Delaware will not rehire prof who made critical comments about Otto Warmbier after his death". The Philadelphia Inquirer , June 25, 2017.
  13. ↑ UD issues statement. UDaily, June 25, 2017.
  14. ↑ Hawkins, Derek (June 26, 2017). "Professor who said 'clueless white male' Otto Warmbier got 'what he deserved' won't be rehired". The Washington Post . Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  15. ↑ Wright, Anne L. (1998). "Review of Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives". Medical Anthropology Quarterly. 12 (3): 396–398. doi:10.1525/maq.1998.12.3.396. ISSN   0745-5194. JSTOR   649695.
  16. ↑ "Margaret Mead Award Recipients". Society for Applied Anthropology. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.