Anthropology Goes Public in the VA Vol. 37

Karen Besterman-Dahan, Alison Hamilton, David Himmelgreen, Satish Kedia

"Almost a decade ago, in 2004, noted anthropologist Louise Lamphere observed a "sea change" in anthropology, with the interests of applied, practicing, and public interest anthropologists converging around the themes of increased collaborations and partnerships, outreach to the public, and efforts to influence policy. The sea change was concretized in anthropology's flagship journal, American Anthropologist, with the 2010 inauguration of the "Public Anthropology Reviews" section. Public anthropology, arguably the convergence that Lamphere foretold, represents an expansion of the value and relevance of anthropology, as well as a shift in the production and dissemination of knowledge. Furthermore, as Nancy Scheper-Hughes articulated in 2009, public anthropology involves not only responding to public issues but making public issues. Anthropologists working in the federal sector, such as...