My discipline, anthropology, is not seen as a “growth" discipline, and departments are being closed down. But the world needs Anthropology and Anthropologists now more than ever!
Here are my 8 reasons for this:
1. POSSIBILITIES
At a time of polycrisis, when the destructive fallouts of capitalist modernity are ever more apparent, anthropology highlights that there are myriad alternative ways of thinking and living; that there is so much to learn from other peoples in the world. 1/n
I wonder if anthropology is deprecated in the UK now because it is not seen by conservatives as directly serving the needs of business - as part of the general attack on 'liberal education' - or precisely because it highlights alternative ways of thinking and living?
(They are not, of course, mutually exclusive.)
I have really very little idea what it is. I know what archaeology is, also what linguistics, psychology, politics, history and biology are. As far as I can see anthropology is a loose assemblage of these and other disciplines insofar as they relate to people. I am not sure that it proceeds by way of scientific method, or aspires to do so.
If the basic proposition is that "we need to understand people and their cultures better", then that's clearly a laudable aim, but I'm not sure if defines an academic discipline
Oh - I have to confess profound ignorance too. I read some Levi-Strauss in my youth - but more in the process of getting to grips with structuralism, than exploring anthropology - and I read #GraeberWengrow recently - but other than that, and the occasional Guardian article, I know nothing.
I did read it of course and it is helpful. Perhaps I'm expecting it to be more scientific than it is and that it's more descriptive than cumulative. Less about theory and more about narrative?
@Anropa @pvonhellermannn @GeofCox
Anthropology is exactly what it says on the tin-- the study of humans. All the other disciplines you just listed (except biology, which is its own department), fall under the anthropology umbrella.
Of course it aspires to use the scientific method! Trouble is, humans are so intensely complicated that it's a very, very challenging science to actually do.
And it's one of the most important academic subjects there is.
Pauline von Hellermann
GeofCox
Anropa
Violet Madder