Barry Hewlett

Barry Hewlett is a Professor of Cultural and Evolutionary Anthropology at Washington State University, affiliated with the Department of Anthropology at WSU Vancouver. He holds a PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has held academic positions at multiple institutions including Tulane University, Kyoto University, and Hawassa University. His research focuses on hunter-gatherer societies, childhood anthropology, and infectious disease studies in Central and Eastern Africa. Hewlett has conducted extensive fieldwork in the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and other regions, with a particular emphasis on the Aka Pygmies and Chabu foragers. His work integrates evolutionary and biocultural perspectives, addressing topics such as father-child relations, disease control, and cultural transmission. He has authored/co-authored numerous books and peer-reviewed articles, including influential works like Intimate Fathers and Hunter-Gatherer Childhoods.

• Education:
• BA (1971), MA (1976), California State University, Chico
• PhD (1987), University of California, Santa Barbara

Research Interests: Hewlett’s research spans cultural ecology, childhood studies, and medical anthropology. Key themes include hunter-gatherer social structures, evolutionary approaches to parenting, and the anthropology of diseases like Ebola and schistosomiasis. He has explored how cultural models of disease influence public health interventions and has contributed to understanding gender roles and teaching practices in forager communities.

His publications analyze topics such as adipose development cross-culturally, cultural transmission among hunter-gatherers, and the role of child-to-child teaching in foraging societies. His work often bridges anthropological theory with applied research, such as studies on onchocerciasis control in Cameroon and Ebola outbreak responses in Central Africa.

Collaborations include projects with institutions like Kyoto University and the World Health Organization, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding human behavior and cultural adaptation.