Anthropology Notes

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...