Keir James Cecil Martin

Keir James Cecil Martin is a Professor in Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo, previously holding a Lecturer position at the University of Manchester. He specializes in psychological anthropology, economic anthropology, and the anthropology of corporations. A recipient of the Royal Anthropological Institute's Sutasoma Award, his research explores socio-economic inequality in Papua New Guinea, global psychotherapy trends, and corporate dynamics in 21st-century capitalism.

His educational background includes prior roles as a Political Economy Research Fellow with the Independent Social Research Foundation. Current research focuses on psychological anthropology, leading a Norwegian Research Council-funded project, Shrinking the Planet, examining the rise of middle-class psychotherapy globally. Martin is also a practicing psychotherapist and former board member of the European Network for Psychological Anthropology.

Research interests span cultural and psychological dimensions of exchange, development, and corporate structures. His work bridges ethnographic fieldwork with theoretical frameworks in political economy, postcolonial studies, and transnational mental health practices. Key publications include The Death of the Big Men and the Rise of the Big Shots (2013) and edited volumes on ritual ambiguities and dependency theories.

His articles reflect engagement with decolonization narratives, corporate culture critiques, and transnational psychotherapy dynamics. Awards highlight contributions to social anthropology's methodological and theoretical frontiers. Grants include major funding for investigating global psychotherapy trends and corporate anthropology.