WHO IS THE APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGIST?

“Almost all branches of anthropology have immediate relevance to applied problems.”

 (Margaret Mead, 1979)

Defined, in its broadest sense, applied anthropology means the linkage between teaching academic anthropology to college students, and how the student applies that knowledge.  

Yet, the American anthropological institutions have failed to define “who is and who is not an applied anthropologist.” Instead, these institutions have defined ““professional anthropology” in terms of one’s academic ties. That is one’s employment, research, publication, and institutional membership.  Yet, the history of “anthropologists” being involved in American public policy goes back to the mid-19^th Century, even before it was formal recognized as a discipline by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1848.

Despite the formal structure that has evolved, one can identify the applied anthropologist by a certain set of characteristics. These characteristics are:

1.  The applied anthropologist differs from other management consultants by applying the basic methodologies of participant/observer and to evaluating evidence on the principle of cultural relativity.

2. The applied anthropologist performs services that are designed to aid management (the Client) of the  four phases of the problem situation: Defining the problem, planning a solution, programming (monitoring the execution), and evaluation of the outcome of the plan and its execution.

3.  Has an ability to understand and solve human problems applying  the anthropological holistic perspective.

4.  Is pragmatic, the applied anthropologist seeks to apply “current knowledge” to resolve “current social/cultural" problems that arise.

5.  Translates the client’s definition of the problem into one that addresses the human/organizational problems that they share with others.

6.  Possesses an ability to carry out his/her mission under the management and/or administration of the client’s formal structure.

7.  The applied anthropologist is bound by personal ethics to offer his/her ‘best” recommendations to the decision maker (client), while upholding the highest standards of “professional” responsibility toward subjects and colleagues.