The Social Science Library » The Resurgence of Applied Anthropology in a Post-Exotic World: an Australian Perspective

The Resurgence of Applied Anthropology in a Post-Exotic World: an Australian Perspective

Author(s)	Gordon, John L.
Abstract	As the end of the twentieth century nears, one of the fastest growing areas within Australian social science is applied anthropology. The recent demand for applied anthropologists is, in part, due to the consequences of the Native Title Act and the need for anthropological advice to support land claim submissions. It is also a consequence of Australia’s geographic location in Asia and the substantial demand for consultant social scientists in this rapidly developing region of the world. In considering applied anthropology and its future, however, it is important neither to focus exclusively on the present nor to lose sight of a global perspective. Applied anthropology has a substantial and intriguing history, much of it dominated by events in North America. Yet, Australia, as a location, and Australians, as social scientists, have played significant roles in this global story. This article presents a brief history of early, industrial, private practice anthropology in the United States and argues that the development of applied anthropology can be linked to the opportunities of the day for student anthropologists to do “real” fieldwork. Applied anthropology has flourished in the past during those periods when overseas or exotic fieldwork has been most difficult. The paper concludes by suggesting that the future of Australian anthropology may well lie in its reinvention of this type of work in a form suitable for the global economy of the twenty-first century.
IssueNo	2
Pages	127-133
Article	Access to Article
Source	Human Organization
VolumeNo	57
PubDate	Summer 1998
ISBN_ISSN	0018-7259
Browse Path(s)	Anthropology —-Social/Cultural Anthropology ——–Political Practices, Organization, and Structure ————Anthropology and Public Policy

The Resurgence of Applied Anthropology in a Post-Exotic World: an Australian Perspective

Political Practices, Organization, and Structure