Mary Beth Mills

Mary Beth Mills is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Anthropology at Colby College. Her research focuses on the anthropology of Asia and Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, with expertise in gender and sexuality, rural-urban linkages, global mobilities, and labor migration. She has held significant roles in teaching and research, including courses on global labor dynamics, gender studies, and cultural anthropology.

Education:

• Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, Department of Anthropology (1993)
• M.A., University of California, Berkeley, Department of Anthropology (1986)
• Honours B.A., Huron College, University of Western Ontario, Canada (1984)

Her research interests explore how gender, labor, and migration intersect in globalizing contexts. She examines themes such as rural-urban divides, cultural citizenship, and the commodification of labor and identity. Her work often critiques modernity’s impact on marginalized groups, particularly in Thailand.

Publications highlight her focus on Thai society: her book Thai Women in the Global Labor Force won the Anthony Leeds Award (2000). Recent articles analyze gendered labor dynamics in Asia, rural-urban linkages, and transnational mobilities.

Her work has been recognized through awards and contributions to leading journals in anthropology and feminist theory. She actively engages in academic discourse through teaching and publishing, addressing critical issues of globalization and social inequality.