What are some pratical applications of anthropological research?

Question

Basically, what's the point of anthropology? Why is it important?

Answer 1

well skunky, in anthropology you are looking for clues and evidence of your own past civilization.  although no one will never know for sure where we came from, you can at least see what was on earth before we were, and see the changes that have taken place over millions of years.

Answer 2

Anthropology can make contributions to many facets of contemporary life ranging from increasing understanding of other cultures to increasing awareness of the past.

One of the areas in which anthropology has made some really important contributions is to medical practice through the insights provided by medical anthropologists. Through studying how people understand, experience, and engage with medical services as well as illness themselves, anthropologists have been able to help the medical field better understand some of the people it helps.  They have also helped people involved with public health develop more culturally sensitive ways of approaching topics like epidemiology.  

In addition to medical anthropology, anthropologists have made important contributions to international law and international discourse on human rights. In many instances of human rights violations, anthropologists have been able to offer culturally sensitive internations of what is happening and its meanings to different groups and in doing so enabled international organizations (ranging from UNICEF to Global Fund for Women) to better address the complexity of the problem.  

Anthropology creates culturally sensitive understandings of the world and those understandings can have practical import in almost any arena.

Answer 3

http://culturematters.wordpress.com/2007...

Answer 4

Forensic anthropologists are the people whose knowledge of the depth of tissue at verious points on the face can be used to re-create the facial features of persons whose skulls have been found - modern or prehistoric.

Anthropologists have contributed to our understanding of speciation, and that the concept of race is no longer meaningful.

Anthropologists are in the process of producing a family tree for humanity.  Everyone wants to know who their ancestors were.