Applied Anthropology 
Practicing Anthropology for Fun and Profit

Anthropologists have long been concerned with the practical applications of their research. For academic anthropologists, this concern has manifested itself most often in advocacy on behalf of the people they study, ranging from the critique of development projects in the Third World to testimony on behalf of Indian tribes seeking Federal acknowledgment. Anthropologists have contributed to many of the public policy debates that have divided American society, including school desegregation, welfare reform and urban development.

The application of anthropological methods and knowledge outside of the academy is growing rapidly. Indeed, most anthropologists today work outside academe. Areas where anthropological training is important include contract archaeology, museums, forensic anthropology, evaluation of welfare reform, foreign aid projects, public health initiatives, community organizing and advocacy. There is a rapidly growing trend to hire anthropologists in private business, especially in the technology sector where anthropologists work on projects ranging from product design and the work environment to market research.

In this course you will study the history, theory and practice of anthropology as an applied research science. You will learn how to define an applied research question and how to turn that question into a research project. You will learn how to evaluate applied research. By carrying out your own research, you will gain practical experience with applied anthropology's concepts and methods. You will also learn how to present your results in public, an essential skill in applied anthropology. We will discuss the questions applied research raises for anthropologists. Does the trust relationship established in fieldwork raise particular ethical concerns in applied research? Should anthropologists always act as advocates on behalf of the people they study? How can we adapt our long-term research methods to the short-term contexts in which many applied researchers work? By the end of the semester, you will be familiar with applied anthropology's core concepts, aware of the ethics, methods, and practices of the field, and have some knowledge of many of the areas in which applied anthropologists work.

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UNO Anthropology

http://fs.uno.edu/dberiss/applied/
Revised 1/21/04