The course introduces students to the orders of meaning and power that influence human living and working conditions, as well as the capacity of human beings to alter those conditions. The focus is on the kinds of anthropological information, qualitative or quantitative, that applied anthropologists use to study practical human social problems. It also explores information from a broad range of scientific or humanistic disciplines from which applied anthropology draws. The course examines how four factors influence the practical application of scientific theories and methods to social problems. These factors include; (1) the specific local challenges faced by individuals with particular social identities, (2) the coping strategies developed by local groups and the sustainability of their efforts to overcome difficulties, (3) the interests and objectives of donor agencies, governments, and non-governmental organizations, and (4) the goals, identities, and ethics of researchers.
Course Attributes: AS SSC; EN S
