E. Summerson Carr

E. Summerson Carr is an Associate Professor with a joint appointment in the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice and the Department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago. A sociocultural and linguistic anthropologist, she specializes in ethnographic studies of social work and allied professions, focusing on the cultural history of American psychotherapies, the politics of communication, interspecies work, and the ethnography of complex institutions.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Anthropology and Social Work, University of Michigan
• M.S.W., University of Michigan
• M.A. in Anthropology, University of Michigan
• Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies, University of Michigan

Her research spans animal-human interaction, evidence-based practices, and scalar frameworks in social life. She examines how therapeutic institutions construct expertise, particularly through programs like motivational interviewing and canine-assisted therapy. Her work critiques the institutionalization of care practices and their implications for social policy.

Scientific Awards:

• Edward Sapir Award, Society for Linguistic Anthropology (2011)

At the Crown Family School, Carr teaches ethnographic methods, policy analysis, and courses on drugs in cultural context. She co-sponsors the Council for Advanced Studies Workshop on United States Locations and is affiliated with the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality. Her edited volume Scale: Discourse and Dimensions of Social Life (2016) reimagines scalar distinctions in social work pedagogy.