What are some Ethics in Anthropology?

Question

What are some Ethics in Anthropology?

Answer 1

Well this is just asking for a nasty debate.  It's more a personal question than one that someone can answer for all anthropologists.  In theory, everyone has a line somewhere in their morals that separates their respect for some culture from their understanding of right and wrong and each situation they get into, they have to decide on which side of the line that falls.  Besides the fact that every anthropologist has their own moral classification system, another complication is that sometimes there's no easy answer.  As one example, FGM is a public health concern and a human rights issue but one job for anthropologists is to devise programs to stop such practices.  In this issue, there are different social aspects supporting the practice that have to be addressed and different ways the practice is conducted (including differing degrees and medicalization of the 'surgery').  An aide group might already have a goal in mind, such as totally ending the practice in the areas they work in and your concern as an anthropologist is only how to demonstrate to the society that the reasons they have this practice can be addressed in other ways.  By virtue of working for an aide group, the anthropologist has probably already decided that this practice crosses their line into too-wrong-to-continue despite personal principles of respect for other cultures.  However, some anthropologists might find it a better moral solution after interviewing the people in the society, girls included, to suggest that instead of home procedures that do a lot of damage, that girls be taken to a nearby hospital for a minimal form of the circumcision.  Another consideration with ethics in anthropology is the investigation of illegal activities.  Usually the moral judge is a review board at the university or in the group sponsoring the study.  Sometimes the illegal activity pops up unexpectedly in the course of fieldwork and has to be handled according to sponsor's rules and the anthropologists judgment.  There are plenty of hairy situations to accidentally find oneself in in the field and even more that can be addressed at length from your computer chair or in your classroom.  I expect other replies with mention some and I'll probably edit my response to comment.