Why the world needs anthropologists

We've been seeing some good discussions lately around what anthropologists can do - and why our perspective on the world is valuable, such as this Huffington Post Blog about why Universities Need Anthropology Now, More Than Ever, or this discussion on why scrapping A-levels anthropology in UK universities is short-sighted.

But, why does the world need anthropologists?

‘The bad news is that anthropology is never going to solve the global crisis,’ professor Thomas Hylland Eriksen provoked, ‘but the good news is that without us, nobody is going to because our knowledge is a crucial piece of the jigsaw puzzle.’ (EPIC, 2016)

This question, and its unfolding answers, are the subject of what is now an ongoing symposium hosted by EASA's Applied Anthropology Network. EPIC (which is all about advancing the value of ethnography in industry) has written a nice piece about the 2015 meeting (Ljubljana, Slovenia) here. But even better, if you were unable to make it to Slovenia last year, or Estonia this year, you can watch the 4 hour symposia on YouTube!

http://www.applied-anthropology.com/

Quick links and further reading:

• Why the World Needs Anthropologists symposia:
• Commentary on the 2013 symposium in Amsterdam, the Netherlands: "Why the world needs anthropologists: Report of a symposium" (Standplaats Wereld, 2016)
• 2015 Why the World Needs Anthropologists (Ljubljana, Slovenia; 4 hours, 36 minutes)
• Commentary on the 2015 symposium: "Why the World Needs Anthropologists" (EPIC, 2016)
• Commentary on the 2015 symposium: "Anthropologist? You’re hired!" (Standplaats Wereld, 2015)
• Commentary on the 2015 symposium:"Why the world needs anthropology" (Culture Matters, 2015)
• 2016 Why the World Needs Anthropologists (Tartu, Estonia; 4 hours)
• "Universities Need Anthropology Now, More Than Ever" (Huffington Post Blog, 2016)
• "Here’s why you should care about the scrapping of A-level anthropology" (The Conversation, 2016)