Dr. Karen Nakamura

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Biography

Karen Nakamura is an accomplished scholar in Cultural Anthropology with a focus on Disability Studies, LGBT movements, and minority social movements. Her research is particularly concerned with identity politics and visual anthropology, with an emphasis on ethnographic filmmaking in Japan. In 2006, she published 'Deaf Japan: Signing Politics and Identity,' which examines sign language and deaf social movements in Japan. Her project on psychiatric disabilities explores community-based recovery and resulted in ethnographic films, as well as a book titled 'Disability Soul: Ethnography of Schizophrenia and Mental Illness in Contemporary Japan' published in 2014. Nakamura's work has earned her numerous accolades, including the John Whitney Hall Book Prize, the SVA Short Film Award, and the David Plath Media Award. She is currently working on projects related to trans movements and disability in Japan, along with launching a new research initiative focused on robotics, augmentation, and prosthetic technology.

Research Interests

Requirements for University of California, Berkeley

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE Subject
Overall Score
Required:500
Overall
Required:500
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or recognized equivalent Preparation comparable to undergraduate major at Berkeley in Mathematics or Applied Mathematics 2 full years lower-division work (Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Multivariable Calculus) 8 one-semester upper-division courses (Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Linear Algebra)
Application Checklist
  • Graduate Application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Personal History Statement
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Unofficial Transcripts
  • C.V./Resume
  • Course and Textbook List
Specialization Notes

The Mathematics Subject GRE is required for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle. General GRE is optional.