Why does the world need anthropology and anthropologists? This
collection of essays written by prominent academic, practising and
applied anthropologists aims to answer this provocative question.
In an accessible and appealing style, each author in this volume
inquires about the social value and practical application of the
discipline of anthropology. Contributors note that the problems the
world faces at a global scale are both new and old, unique and
universal, and that solving them requires the use of long-proven tools
as well as innovative approaches. They highlight that using anthropology
in relevant ways outside academia contributes to the development of a
new paradigm in anthropology, one where the ability to collaborate
across disciplinary and professional boundaries becomes both central and
legitimate. Contributors provide specific suggestions to anthropologists
and the public at large on practical ways to use anthropology to change
the world for the better.
This one-of-a-kind volume will be of interest to fledgling and
established anthropologists, social scientists and the general public.