"[1][7] In 1951, Silverman graduated from high school and began her studies at the University of Illinois at Navy Pier as a pre-med student.
Conrad Arensberg's work in the Mediterranean, as well as a personal interest in the region, led Silverman to select Italy as the focus of her dissertation research.
Her work was one of the initial social-anthropological studies of Central Italy, describing the mezzadria, the traditional agrarian system of the region.
[1] In 1963, Silverman received a PhD in anthropology from Columbia University for a dissertation Landlord and peasant in an Umbrian community, subsequently used as the basis of her first book, Three bells of civilization: the life of an Italian hill town.
[11] After completing her PhD, Silverman worked as a teacher by Queens College in New York City from 1962 to 1975, while continuing her research in Italy.
She was spokesperson for the organization, advocating for the field of anthropology as well as overseeing administrative tasks including fellowship and grant funding.
These symposia became the topic of her 2002 book, The Beast on the Table which offers a rich narrative concerning the living history of anthropology.
[15][16] In addition to two stepchildren from Wolf's first marriage, the couple had two children, Eve Silverman and film producer, Julie Yorn.