Applied Anthropology: Roles and Importance
Applied anthropology refers to realistic ways of identifying, assessing and solving cutting-edge social issues through the software of anthropological methods, perspectives and data. From Erve Chambers’ suggestion, applied anthropology worries with anthropological knowledge and how the knowledge is utilized past people’s cultures worldwide. Erve’s classified the various roles of utilized anthropology as follows: representative, mediator, informant, mediator, and analyst.
Representative Role of Applied Anthropology
For instance, Syrian immigrants can acquire citizenship of the United States with the help of an utilized anthropologist. Following Chambers suggestions, a group of people that are being studied can be represented through an anthropologist as their spokesperson. Therefore, an anthropologist could choose to symbolize the thousands of Syrian immigrants whom President Obama called to negotiate on how they could acquire US citizenship.
Facilitator Role of Applied Anthropology
Applied anthropology can act as a facilitator by influencing a change in policy. For example, an anthropologist can influence a policy change on the criteria of allowing expectant women to enter and acquire citizenship of the United States. The anthropologists can facilitate the alteration of policies so that such women can be granted uncontested citizenship.
Informant Role of Applied Anthropology
As an anthropologist tends to analyze the gathered data from the study, he or she gets vital information hence doubling the role to be an informant. From the analysis that an informant makes on the obtained data, he or she can influence the federal government to change the policies to grant expectant immigrants from Syrian with uncontested citizenship.
Mediator Role of Applied Anthropology
Another role that Chambers suggested is mediation. The anthropologist should speak for the people by acting as a mediator between the government officials and the immigrants to solve disputes such as terrorism in the United States.
In conclusion, anthropologists do have multiple roles depending on the amount of information they gather from the study. According to Chambers suggestions, an anthropologist can choose to be a representative of the people or mediate for them on various conflicting issues.
Reference
Freidenberg, J. (2015). Inaugural Statement from the New Editorial Team. Practicing Anthropology, 37(2), 2-4.
