Public Anthropology in the United States and Indonesia

Imam Subkhan

doi:10.22146/jh.43598

Public Anthropology in the United States and Indonesia

https://doi.org/10.22146/jh.43598

Imam Subkhan^(1*)

(1) University of Washington
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract

This paper discusses the development of public anthropology in the United States and Indonesia. Drawing on literature reviews and archive studies, this article argues that public anthropology needs to be considered as a pragmatic strategy to elevate the position of anthropology in the public realm, and make it relevant to society. As a scholarly concept, public anthropology in Indonesia is not as popular as in the United States relative to applied anthropology. However, its individual and institutional practices have been flourishing in the last decade, including collaborative works and community engagement, publishing scholarship beyond conventional academic forms, active involvement in contemporary human problems, and efforts to influence public policies. To foster Indonesian public anthropology, an academic promotion system that gives more appreciation to public scholarship should be encouraged. Academic anthropologists may also take the initiative to include public anthropology in the anthropology curriculum. Moreover, the Indonesian Anthropological Association (AAI) can facilitate and promote public anthropology in broader public debates, and maintain its active role in defending humanity.

Keywords

public anthropology; applied anthropology; American anthropology; Indonesian Anthropology; collaborative work; public concern.

Full Text:

PDF

References

American Anthropological Association (AAA). (2005). Uncensoring Franz Boas. Retrieved from https://www.americananthro.org/ConnectWithAAA/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=2134

Abdullah, I. (2018). Misrepresentation of science and expertise: Reflecting on half a century of Indonesian anthropology. Humaniora, 30(1), 82-91.

Barth, F. (2017). Envisioning a more public anthropology: Interview with Fredrik Barth. In N. Brown, L. T. González, & T. Mcilwraith (Eds.), Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology. Arlington, VA: American Anthropological Association.

Beck, S., & Maida, C.A. (2013). Introduction: Toward engaged anthropology. In S. Beck & C. A. Maida (Eds), Toward engaged anthropology. New York: Berghahn.

Beck, S., & Maida, C.A. (2017). Introduction. In S. Beck & C.A. Maida (Eds), Public anthropology in a borderless world. New York: Berghahn.

Benson, P. (2014). Year in Review, Public Anthropology, 2013: Webs of Meaning, Critical Interventions. American Anthropologist, 116(2), 379-389.

Benton, A., & Bonilla, Y. (2017). Rethinking public anthropologies in the digital age: Toward a new dialogue. American Anthropologist, 119(1), 154-56.

Besteman, C. (2013). Three reflections on public anthropology. Anthropology Today, 29(6), 3–6.

Besteman, C., & Gusterson, H. (2005). Introduction. In C. Besteman, & H. Gusterson (Eds.), Why America’s top pundits are wrong: anthropologists talk back (pp. 1-23). Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press.

Boas, F. (1894). Human faculty determined by race. Massachusetts: Salem Press.

Boas, F. (1912). An anthropologist's view of war. The Advocate of Peace, 74(4), 93-95.

Boas, F. (2005). Scientists as spies. Anthropology Today, 21(3), 27.

Borofsky, R. (2000). Public anthropology. Where to? What next? Anthropology News, 41(5), 9-10.

Borofsky, R. (2011, May 11). Defining public anthropology. Retrieved from https://www.publicanthropology.org/public-anthropology/

Darnell, R. (2018). Franz Boas's legacy of "useful knowledge": The APS archives and the future of Americanist anthropology. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 162(1), 1-14.

Davis, D. A. (2003). What did you do today?: Notes from a politically engaged anthropologist. Urban Anthropology, 32(2), 147-74.

Duranti, A. (2013). On the future of anthropology: Fundraising, the job market, and the corporate turn. Anthropological Theory, 13(3), 201-21.

Freeman, D. (1997). Margaret Mead and the heretic: The making and unmaking of an anthropological myth. New York: Penguin Books.

Eriksen, T. H. (2013). The Anansi position. Anthropology Today, 29(6), 14-17.

Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures: Selected essays. New York: Basic Books.

Giddens, A. (1976). New rules of sociological method: A positive critique of interpretative sociologies. New York: Basic Books.

Goodell, R. (1977). The visible scientists. Sciences, 17(1), 6-9.

Hadiz, V. R., & Dhakidae, D. (2005). Social science and power in Indonesia. Jakarta; Singapore: Equinox Pub.

Hazard, A. Q. (2014). Wartime anthropology, nationalism, and "race" in Margaret Mead's and Keep your powder dry. Journal of Anthropological Research, 70(3), 365-83.

Hedican, E. J. (2016). Public anthropology: Engaging social issues in the modern world. North York, Ontario, Canada: University of Toronto Press.

H.M. (1961). Science and segregation: The American anthropological association dips into politics. Science, 134(3493), 1868-1869

Horton, S.B. (2018, November 6). Making Engagement Central to Our Projects. Retrieved from American Anthropologist: http://www.americananthropologist.org/2018/11/06/forum-on-unrequited-engagement/

Kasniyah, N. (2005). Antropologi pasca pembangunan: Dimensi antropologi terapan [Anthropology of post development: A dimension of applied anthropology]. Humaniora, 17(3), 293-300.

Koentjaraningrat. (1987). Anthropology in Indonesia. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 18(2), 217-234.

Koentjaraningrat. (1988). The Indonesian mentality and development. Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, 3(2), 107-133.

Lutkehaus, N. (2008). Margaret Mead: The making of an American icon. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Lutkehaus, N. (2009). Margaret Mead: Public anthropologist. Anthropology Now, 1(1), 29-35.

Marwati. (2018, October 19). Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM to hold Sumba festival 2018. Retrieved from Universitas Gadjah Mada: https://ugm.ac.id/en/news/17237-faculty.of.cultural.sciences.ugm.to.hold.sumba.festival.2018

Marzali, A. (2002). Ilmu antropologi terapan bagi Indonesia yang sedang membangun [Applied anthropology for the developing Indonesia]. Antropologi Indonesia, 68, 86-106.

Mead, M. (1928). Coming of age in Samoa: A psychological study of primitive youth for Western civilisation. New York: W. Morrow and Co.

Mead, M. (1942). And keep your powder dry; an anthropologist looks at America. New York: W. Morrow and Co.

Melnick, M. (2010, November 18). Margaret Mead (1901-1978). Retrieved from TIME: http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2029774_2029776_2031815,00.html

Mullings, L. (2015). Anthropology matters. American Anthropologist, 117(1), 4-16.

Nader, L. (1974). Up the anthropologist-perspectives gained from studying up. In D. Hymes (Ed.), Reinventing Anthropology (pp. 284-311). New York: Vintage Books.

Nordstrom, C. (2017). Interview with Carolyn Nordstrom. In N. Brown, L. T. de-González, & T. Mcilwraith (Eds.), Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology. Arlington, VA: American Anthropological Association.

Ortner, S. B. (1991).Reading America: Preliminary notes on class and culture. In R.G. Fox (Ed.), Recapturing Anthropology. Santa Fe, NM: School of American Research.

Peacock, J. L. (1997). The future of anthropology. American Anthropologist, 99(1), 9-17.

Richardson, M. (1975). Anthropologist: the myth-teller. American Ethnologist, 2(3), 517-33.

Saroh, M. (2016, December 16). Antropolog minta pemerintah melindungi kebhinekaan [Antropologists demand government to protect diversity]. Retrieved from Tirto: https://tirto.id/antropolog-minta-pemerintah-melindungi-kebhinekaan-b9XM

Shahab, Y. Z. (2006). Tantangan peran antropologi di Indonesia [The challenges of anthropological roles in Indonesia]. Antropologi Indonesia, 30(2), 201-220.

Shankman, P. (2009). The trashing of Margaret Mead: Anatomy of an anthropological controversy. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press.

Tsing, A. (2005). Anthropologists as public intellectuals. Anthropology News, 46(1), 10.

Van Willigen, J. (2002). Applied anthropology an introduction. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey.

Virgolilius, G. (2018, November 1). Menyoal adat dan kemiskinan masyarakat Sumba [Problematize customary practices and poverty in Sumba communities] . Retrieved from Balairung Press: http://www.balairungpress.com/2018/11/menyoal-adat-dan-kemiskinan-masyarakat-sumba/

Waterston, A. (2017). AAA: Year of challenges and accomplishments. Retrieved from http://s3.amazonaws.com/rdcms-aaa/files/production/public/Waterston2017PresidentReport.pdf

Winarto, Y., Stigter, C., & Wicaksono, M. (2017). Transdisciplinary responses to climate change: institutionalizing agrometeorological learning through Science Field Shops in Indonesia. Austrian Journal of South - East Asian Studies, 10(1), 65-82.

Wolf, E. (1964). Anthropology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/jh.43598