Can anthropologists offer a great service to society?

Question

cultural anthropology

Answer 1

Isn't cultural anthropology Sociology?

Answer 2

I think social/cultural anthropology offers a huge service to society, even documenting, theorising about cultures alien to our own is useful if it gives us an insight in to the people we share our world with, if only merely to see how they live. So if the service need not be directly related to financial gain i think students of the human condition are an integral part of a functional world.

Answer 3

In my opinion, yes. However, this would require a substantial and fundamental change in the way anthropology is taught and what anthropologists do withe their knowledge and theory.  Currently, very few universities take applied or practical anthropology as seriously as they should.  Instead, most programs stick to the very entertaining and intellectually stimulating theoretical debates and fascinating curious facts that tend to draw better enrollments in courses.  This is not going to help anthropology develop as a practical discipline, but there is always hope.

Answer 4

Cultural anthropology studies people/cultures/tribes in their environment...how they survive in that environment and adapt to different/changing environments. Just how they survived like that for so long.

I am including ancient and modern in this.

Cultural anthropology could help save mankind from itself, if those anthropologists were listened to.

Answer 5

yes in many ways, forensic anthropology etc

Answer 6

Do elephants fly. ?

Answer 7

Anthropology is about learning to understand another's perspective from his cultural environment.  When forced bussing started , the cultural plan was "throw 'em all together and they'll be just fine", I guess.  This was  a  social situation which desperately needed an advisory staff of social and cultural anthro's for preparedness and smooth transition. Better that than using our own kids as guinea pigs.

Answer 8

Yes, but it is a complicated answer. I think that there is a limit to what can be useful. Basically, all of anthropology is interpretation, which leaves the person studying the culture to insert their biases into the beliefs of the culture. That is, it is up to someone, usually from outside the culture being studied, to provide a context for the characteristics of that culture. But some good has been done. For example, say that a culture wont take their medication for some tropical disease. I as the anthropologist, may figure that they think that we are untrustworthy or some other reason. However, the true reason is because of the color of the pill (true story, I think it was the indigenous mayan groups in the Yucatan. The Q'eqchi' Mayans possibly, would not take the pill because it was red, which was "hot" in their culture. They changed the color to blue and everything was cool).

On the flip side, just look at all the different theories in cultural anthropology (Structuralism, Functionalism, Post Modernism and etc.). Everyone has a different take on the cultures that they are studying. Are any of them right? Who knows. How do you prove it? Who knows. Therefore, are they helpful? Who knows. I think if you apply Cultural Anthro, like the example above, it is extremely helpful. But vast characterizations of cultures, in my mind, is too biased to be of help to anyone.

P.S. just in case you are thinking of a career in any anthropological discipline, be prepared to take a vow of poverty.