McKim Marriott

McKim Marriott is a world-renowned anthropologist specializing in Indian society.

Education
Marriott received a PhD from the University of Chicago in 1955.

India Experience
His initial exposure to India came during World War II when he worked as a signals analyst. This experience sparked his interest in the country's unique social structures. Despite training as an Indologist, Marriott felt existing Western academic disciplines were inadequate for capturing the essence of Indian culture.

Marriott has studied villagers and urbanites of Asia and professionals of Asia, including Japan. He criticized Western categories which often present obstacles to understanding peoples, and he elaborated alternative models for studying differing cultural realities.

Impact and Recognition
Marriott's work influenced generations of anthropologists, including his students who went on to become prominent scholars themselves. He was celebrated for his dedication to cultural sensitivity and his ability to bridge the gap between Western and Indian perspectives. A felicitation ceremony at the University of Chicago Smart Museum marked his 90th birthday, where colleagues and former students acknowledged his lasting influence.

Selected publications

 * 1998	The female family core explored ethnosociologically. Contributions to Indian Sociology. 32: 279-304
 * 1997	A Description of SAMSARA, A Realization of Rural Hindu Life. Chicago: McKim Marriott.
 * 1992	Alternative social sciences. In J. MacAloon, ed., General Education in the Social Sciences. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 262–278.
 * 1991	On ‘Constructing an Indian ethnosociology’ Contributions to Indian Sociology. 25:295-308.
 * 1990	(Editor) India through Hindu Categories. New Delhi/Newbury Park/London: Sage Publications.