Applied and Academic Anthropology
Early anthropologists worked in various sections as early as the 19th and 20th centuries. During the existence of colonial regimes, they worked as advisors, agents, administrators, and researchers assisting in the institution and enforcement of policies that controlled the local population. They also worked for the government in World War II, seeking to understand where the United States’ enemies, such as Germany and Japan, drew their motivation from (Kottak, 2018). It was around this time that the histories of applied and academic anthropology overlapped as the US baby boom inspired the expansion of its education system and, consequently, anthropology’s introduction to the curriculum. Anthropologists doubled as professors and agency and museum workers during this time. In the following years, the number of students taking anthropology increased steadily and particularly during the Vietnam War, which saw many students want to learn about cultures other than their own. Anthropologists also explored new fields for the application of their knowledge other than the government. They worked in international organizations, businesses, and hospitals. The increased exploration enabled them to reflect on the social significance and impact of their research, thus developing the profession in terms of academics and application.
Ethical Dilemmas and Advocacy Opportunities
Development anthropology is an anthropology branch that deals with developmental policies that cater to the cultural aspect of the economy. Anthropologists encounter advocacy opportunities and ethical dilemmas in planning the policies, especially where they receive foreign aid, such as financial aid. One of the most rampant ethical dilemmas is whether to use the funding and knowledge they possess to help the local people or to use them back political, economic, and strategic priorities by political leaders and persons of interest and gain an individual advantage in the process (Kottak, 2018). Most anthropologists tend to do the latter leading to a decline in the living standards and quality of life for the society in question. Regarding advocacy, development anthropologists have many chances to advocate for equity in the society, which comprises of reduced poverty and even distribution of wealth. Taking advantage of these opportunities means that they promote the fair distribution of resources, with the poor getting most of the benefits from a project instead of already wealthy ones. However, in most cases, these developmental projects not only fail to benefit the poor but also increase the wealth gap between the rich and the poor, a negative equity impact. Tis happens when the local government is not reform-minded, and the wealthy and powerful population wants to maintain the status quo.
Intervention Philosophy
An intervention philosophy is a theory that validates native people’s regulation in a specific direction by outsiders (Sibii, 2020). This includes actions by colonizers, missionaries, governments, and development planners who believe that all populations should attain industrialization, westernization, and individualism to obtain everlasting benefits for the natives. Neoliberalism is one such philosophy that is being employed primarily in developing nations and post-socialist societies. This is done by governments, both local and international, and powerful financial institutions such as the World Bank. Neoliberalism is mainly concerned with tariff-and barrier-free international trade and investment. Therefore, the local business people have to seek alternative ways of making a profit, for example, through automation, paying lower wages to workers, firing employees, or improved productivity. The involved nations have to accept the stated regulations in exchange for loans after being convinced that this will lead to economic growth that will ultimately benefit everyone.
References
Kottak, C. P. (2018). Mirror for Humanity: A Concise Introduction to Cultural Anthropology. McGraw-Hill Education.
Sibii, R. (2020). Interventionism. Britannica.