Dr. William Hanks

Biography

William F. Hanks is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, holding the Distinguished Chair in Linguistic Anthropology. He received his Ph.D. in Linguistics and Anthropology from the University of Chicago in 1983 and has held faculty positions at both universities since then, including Northwestern University. Hanks’ research focuses on the history and ethnography of Yucatan, Mexico, studying the Yucatec Maya language and culture, as well as early modern Spanish influences on colonial discourse. He examines dynamics of routine language use, semantics, pragmatics, and the social foundations of speech practices. His interdisciplinary work involves extensive fieldwork and archival research, particularly into Maya ritual practices, comparative shamanisms, and health care relations in rural Mexico. Hanks’ notable publications include 'Intertexts: Writings Language, Utterance, Context' and 'Language Communicative Practices.'

Research Interests