The Culture, Society and Politics concentration of the Ph.D. Program in Comparative Studies is designed to foster interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary study in the social sciences. It is structured to allow students the opportunity to develop deep expertise in one of three primary areas - sociology, anthropology or political science - and to bring their interests and scholarship related to these areas into conversation with other disciplines both within and outside of traditional social science fields. At the heart of the program is a commitment to the belief that comparative models of inquiry lead to unique advancements in the production of new knowledge and a greater awareness of the larger implications of such knowledge generally.<br><br>As an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary program, the Comparative Studies: Culture, Society and Politics concentration draws on the strengths of the various departments in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters as well as the broader graduate programs of Florida Atlantic University. Areas of particular strength include: (Anthropology) sociocultural and medical anthropology, bioarchaeology, ethnoarchaeology, zooarchaeology and primatology, (Sociology) studies of gender, agriculture, adulthood, adolescence, childhood, race, social class and economics, (Political Science) comparative politics, American politics, international relations, public policy and law, post-conflict resolution, democracy and democratization, political behavior and quantitative methods.<br><br>The program is structured so that students follow a cohesive plan of study that includes both an interdisciplinary social science core and, in close consultation with their advisory committees, the development of two specific areas of specialization that might themselves be multidisciplinary. The program encourages students to address issues in cultures, societies and/or politics from multiple perspectives and to seek the convergence of these perspectives through the insights of interdisciplinary approaches.