Jennifer Manthei

Jennifer Manthei serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology/Anthropology at the University of Illinois Springfield, with her office located in UHB 3000 and contactable via phone (217-206-7584) or email (jmant2@uis.edu).

Her research specializes in Cultural Anthropology and Medical Anthropology, with primary focus areas including race, gender, childhood/youth dynamics, and foster care systems. Work spans both international contexts (notably Brazil) and the United States, informed by fluency in Portuguese, Spanish, and German. Current projects feature the near-complete book Brazilian Girls Take on Their World analyzing Brazilian mulata representations, and an ongoing Central Illinois study on race in foster care funded by Call to Action to Address Racism and Social Justice.

Manthei teaches courses reflecting her research scope: Culture, Health, and Power; Understanding Cultures; Brazil in Movies; and Teen Talk Classic. No advisory roles, awards, or laboratory affiliations are documented in the source material.