Relation between Anthropology and

Development

Dr. Md. Faruk Shah

Associate Professor
Department of Development Studies
University of Dhaka
&
Adjunct Faculty Member
Department of Development Studies
Bangladesh University of Professionals
 Applied Anthropology
• Applied Anthropology refers to the application of anthropological data,
perspectives, theory, and methods to identify, assess, and solve social problems.
• “Applied anthropologists ...play role in making plans, implementing those, and
thus initiate change in societies they study” (Mair, 1968).
• They Identify the needs for change that local people perceive.
• Applied anthropologists may protect local people from harmful policies and
projects.
• Thus they contribute to development in many ways including critics to
modernity, policy researcher, evaluator, impact assessor, planner, needs
assessor, trainer, advocate, cultural broker.
• Cultural brokering is the act of bridging, linking, or mediating between groups or
persons of different cultural backgrounds for the purpose of reducing conflict or
producing change (Jezewski, 1990)
 Method of Applied Anthropology: Action Research
& Planned Change

• “An action research means a kind of research

which has a definite target and a course of
action for positive change. It attempts to uplift
and develop the people under investigation…An
action researcher not only collects facts but also
acts to lead, motivate and organize the people
under study for changing their fate towards
betterment… ” (Chowdhury & Rahman, 1999).
• Involvement is a necessary precondition of
action research.
 Development Anthropology

 Development anthropology is a branch of applied anthropology that focuses on

social issues in, and the cultural dimension of, economic development.
 ‘Development’ is the central point of development anthropology
 Development anthropologists have long made practical contributions to planned
change and policy.
 Anthropologist accept the role of helping to make development work better by
providing cultural information to planners. It also plans and guides policy.
 Key questions of development anthropology are:
How does culture change?
How anthropologists can inform and transform the process of international
development
 Anthropology of Development

1. The social and cultural effects of economic change

2. The social and cultural effects of development projects (and why they fail)
 ‘Top-down’ manner: “plans are made by distant officials who have little idea what the
conditions, capabilities or needs are in the area or community which has been earmarked for
developmental interventions.” (Robert Chamber’s Rural Development: Putting the Last First)
Misunderstanding the context

3. The internal workings and discourses of the ‘aid industry’

 Anthropological Perspectives
• Holism (considering a wide range of contexts): “refers to the study of the whole of
the human condition” (Kottak, 2000:5).
• Cultural relativism: a person’s behavior should not be judged by the standards of
another culture.
• Comparative and cross cultural: it compares data from different populations and
time periods
• Ethnography (Participant observation): To participate with the activities of people
under study as much as possible
• Reflexivity “refers to how the studied 'object' of research reacts towards fieldwork”
• Thick description: a way of presentation that includes observation and context in
which that behavior occurs.
• Emic and Etic Approach: insiders’ and outsiders’ views respectively of culture
• Tendency to challenge mainstream assumptions
Applying Anthropology in Development Work
• In the twenty-first century, there is a growing imperative to rethink old ways of
doing development. Mainstream frameworks and ways of working are proving
woefully inadequate to tackle the challenges of contemporary development
practice. This is apparent across all kinds of country contexts. From wealthy
countries to poor ones, policy makers are under pressure to understand and
respond to development needs in diverse contexts, and to build partnership with
diverse social actors.
• The anthropology of development sheds light on the social contexts that are at
the heart of all development work, from the community centre to the boardroom.
Anthropology reveals that development is a social and cultural process, and
provides a set of insights that can be used to understand these dynamics and
create more effective development outcomes.
(Eversole, 2018:16)
The time has come for anthropology to consolidate its place in development
practice, not merely as frustrated post-project critic but as implementing
partner. There are growing demands for its skills and insights to further
understanding of agricultural, health and insights to further understanding
of agricultural, health, community, and other issues (Sillitoe, 2002:1)
Thank You and Questions???