Anthro Notes 2
Post-Exam 1
Applied Anthropology
The use of anthropological knowledge and approaches to:
Prevent problems
Solve Problems
Shape or achieve policy and goals
Cross-culture problem solving
Who needs applied anthro?
Anyone with a cross-cultural product, service or message
Gov't, nonprofits, international agencies, health care providers, corporations, public policy groups.
They anthropology's unique skill set:
Cross-cultural communication, understanding culture as a system, value of an “insider's perspective” on other cultures, research methods (participant-observation, interviews, etc.)
Meishi Exchange
Business card exchange in Japan
Very different and more formal
Happens in both informal and formal meetings
“Extension of ones self”
Applied medical anthropology
The use of anthropological knowledge and approaches to further the goals of health-care providers
Aiding doctor-patient communication
Suggesting cultural factors of disease
Ethnomedical knowledge (causes and treatments of illness specific to a certain culture)
Susto: “Fright sickness” - Culture specific illness
Insomnia, appetite loss,and lethargy.
Typical in urban latin america areas.
Caused by the soul being frightened from the body
Unexpected loud noise, unexplained misfortune, sleeping in a room where someone dies, being visited by a ghost while asleep
Curanderos
A healer for susto
“Entice the soul back”
It works if you think it's going to work
Culture Specific illness
Anorexia in the US
Development Anthropology
The use of anthropological knowledge and approaches to improve human welfare.
Consulting on infrastructure projects
Establishing poverty reducing programs.
Rural electricity in Ghana
Building a dam to produce electricity to rural areas.
Changes gender roles, more free time.
Rapid Research Methods
When time's too short for traditional participant-observation
Focus-group interviews
Surveys
Transect observations – walking an area and...