Thanks for the reference to ethnography.com Stan
I just found this site due a link to my site, ethnography.com about the Human Terrain System. As an anthropologist, I am very excited and encouraged by the much more overt and "on the ground" use of anthropologists by military and intelligence communities. This is also a raving big deal to a lot of other anthropologists.
I have more than a couple of rants on my site about the short-sighted nature of my profession in this regard. On the other hand, I am meeting more anthropologists: students and long-term professionals alike, that would love the chance to work with the Human Terrain System program and other military or government agencies. Why? Because more and more anthropologists want to do something thats feels real and has an impact on the world around them and they make their own choices about what that looks like.
The only reason I am a member of the American Anthropology Association is because you are a member when you join to attend the national conference that was in my city last year. I would never sign some wacko pledge about the kind of work or clients I am partnering with. A) I have my own moral compass, thank you, and I don't need my supposed professional association dictating to me my moral choices. B) I am an anthropologist if I work for Habitat for Humanity or the CIA using cultural knowledge to develop propaganda (As an aside, some very famous anthropologists worked with the OSS to create propaganda in WWII and are held in high regard. The difference between what is seen as a morally "clean" war with nationally supported goals, and more ambiguous wars.)
The Anthropologists in academia get in a froth every few years about those of us in the corporate world (I use anthropology to develop corporate strategies for global and regional business units), and those in the government and the military. In fact they see no difference between an anthropologist in the military or business at all. In the past the code of ethics was very clear that the work most of us in business or government did was out of bounds. The result? Umm, we just didn't join the anthropology association. Its not like we missed much.
You'll notice that all these ideas for pledges and resolutions, etc to ban certain kinds of work by social scientists rarely if ever from people with actual experience in the field. Why? Well those of us in the Business/Government/Military end of anthropology are too busy actually DOING things.
Well Put, Mark...And Welcome Aboard !
Hey Mark !
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MarkD
I just found this site due a link to my site, ethnography.com about the Human Terrain System. As an anthropologist, I am very excited and encouraged by the much more overt and "on the ground" use of anthropologists by military and intelligence communities. This is also a raving big deal to a lot of other anthropologists.
Given your background, I'd be very interested in checking out your site. I've tried to obtain a better understanding of Anthropologists and Marc is always ready to assist.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MarkD
You'll notice that all these ideas for pledges and resolutions, etc to ban certain kinds of work by social scientists rarely if ever from people with actual experience in the field. Why? Well those of us in the Business/Government/Military end of anthropology are too busy actually DOING things.
Although I spent some time reading AAA's Code of Ethincs, I came away with mere broad stroke regulations and certainly no straight forward 'Do's and Don'ts'. At the very least, I found nothing forbidding an Anthropologist from assisting the US Military in saving lives, both ours and others. This broad statement would lead me to believe
the contrary:
Quote:
Anthropological researchers have primary ethical obligations to the people, species, and materials they study and to the people with whom they work.
- To avoid harm or wrong, understanding that the development of knowledge can lead to change which may be positive or negative for the people or animals worked with or studied
- To respect the well-being of humans and nonhuman primates
- To work for the long-term conservation of the archaeological, fossil, and historical records
- To consult actively with the affected individuals or group(s), with the goal of establishing a working relationship that can be beneficial to all parties involved
Regards, Stan
Ah, but it depends on what your definition of "is" is :)
Hi Stan-
Its true, the most current revision of the AAA code of ethics (which is also under revision) is no longer as explicit about secret research. At one point it was a direct breach of ethics.
The rub is the interpretation of the different parts of the code. Most anthropologists would still argue that a person should never do research that cannot be made public to everyone including those the research is about.
Take the "do no harm" related section. Of course, thats a basic *duh* for most people. BUT, what if you are doing research with military teams, say a bomber crew. The objective is to understand how to make them a more effective team to improve accuracy, reduce error and generally bomb the bejesus out of the enemy. For many anthropologists, you are indeed doing harm at that point. Cultural understanding to improve relations for military units is questionable, but sort of OK. Developing a better understanding of Al Queda to locate and bomb them is waaaaaay out of bounds.
Me on the othref hand? I am totally fine with anthro's working in any capacity. Before I was an anthropologist I worked developing training systems for tanks for the army and base interdiction for the air force, among others.
I don't object to a code of ethics of course. One of the most interesting classes I had in grad school was my ethics class. The time to really ponder ethical dilemmas is before they happen, then at least you have some footing when the inevitable unexpected surprise happens.
Here is a post I wrote about my most difficult ethical problem I have encountered. http://www.ethnography.com/2007/03/w...hical-dilemma/
When Anthropologists Go to War (Against the Military)
Somewhat related to Mark's Human Terrain from Wired's Danger Room
Quote:
By Sharon Weinberger, September 19, 2007
A newly formed ad-hoc group called The Network of Concerned Anthropologists is hoping to convince their colleagues to sign a pledge of "non-participation in counter-insurgency." They write: "The War in Iraq has created a dangerous situation not only for the nation but also for the discipline of anthropology. The Department of Defense and allied agencies are mobilizing anthropologists for interventions in the Middle East and beyond. It is likely that larger, more permanent initiatives are in the works."
An excerpt of the pledge can be found at the link.
Army Enlists Anthropology in War Zones
From the New York Times, "American paratroopers are fielding what they consider a crucial new weapon in counterinsurgency operations here: a soft-spoken civilian anthropologist named Tracy. "
A good news story and something that the everyday soldier can now extensively learn from and relate to. More importantly IMO, this experience will change the all too often imagined generalizations our young soldiers tend to employ in order to conceal their general lack of cultural understanding. :)
Quote:
Her team’s ability to understand subtle points of tribal relations — in one case spotting a land dispute that allowed the Taliban to bully parts of a major tribe — has won the praise of officers who say they are seeing concrete results.
Col. Martin Schweitzer, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division said that the unit’s combat operations had been reduced by 60 percent since the scientists arrived in February, and that the soldiers were now able to focus more on improving security, health care and education for the population.
There are of course some naysayers still around :o.
Quote:
Hugh Gusterson, an anthropology professor at George Mason University, and 10 other anthropologists are circulating an online pledge calling for anthropologists to boycott the teams, particularly in Iraq.
Québec français - Cela n’a pas toujours été facile
Hey Marc !
I thought it was Greg, my Estonian Protégé :eek:
In any case, I've returned from a nice restaurant and enjoying a beer and late movie.
If they won't let Tom sign up, there's little hope for the remainder herein <sigh> and it's back to creative writing.
Jokes aside, I enjoyed the article and hope to find this Dr. Tracey :p
jusqu'à la fois suivante !
Stan
PS. Needed the French practice :D
Quote:
Originally Posted by
marct
LOLOL
Actually, he is a student of mine in Directed Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Security, Stability and Reconstruction. We're in the the grad pub at the same table right now, hence the IP address....
Conspiracy? Mais non!
Marc
Human Terrain & Anthropology (merged thread)
Moderator at Work
Prompted by the most recent post I have merged eight threads on the subject of Human Terrain, Human Terrain teams (HTS) and Anthropology into one. Most threads were in the Social Science forum and a few outside, including one in Job Seekers. I have left two threads on Iraq & HTS. (Ends)
If anyone is interested in joining a Human Terrain Team or knows of someone who would be qualified to be on one of the teams, they are looking for additional personnel:
• The Human Terrain System is a new Army program designed to improve the military’s ability to understand the local socio-cultural environment in Iraq and Afghanistan. This program is a pioneering effort with the potential to fundamentally change the way the military operates in foreign environments: knowledge of the local population provides a departure point for a military staff’s ability to plan and execute its mission more effectively using less lethal force. Preliminary findings from Afghanistan demonstrate that Human Terrain Teams help military commanders reduce the amount of lethal force used, with a corresponding reduction in military and civilian casualties.
• Social scientists will be members of five-person Human Terrain Teams, which are composed of military specialists, linguists, area studies specialists, and others. The Human Terrain Teams act as advisers to Army Brigades and Marine Corps Regiments. The Human Terrain Team does not engage in combat missions, nor does it collect intelligence. This program is neither covert nor clandestine: when interacting with the local population, all members of the human terrain team fully identify themselves and their mission. All team members undergo four months of training, with a deployment of 6 to 9 months.
• In addition to drawing upon their own experience and expertise, field social scientists, as members of a Human Terrain Team, will gather data from a variety of sources operating in theatre (e.g. conventional military patrols, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, civil affairs units, special forces). The teams assist commanders in understanding the operational relevance of socio-cultural information as it applies to the military decision-making process. The expectation is that the social scientist’s knowledge will allow the commander to make decisions that will increase the security of the area, allow other organizations (local and international) to more effectively provide aid and restore the infrastructure, ensure that US efforts are culturally sensitive, promote economic development, and help the local population more effectively communicate their needs to US and Coalition forces.
• In recent decades scholarly access to military operations has been limited to those in uniform and a select handful of insiders. Working as a social scientist on a Human Terrain Team offers a rare and unique opportunity to help reshape the military's execution of their mission by offering them a much greater appreciation of existing socio-cultural realities and sensitivities in the countries where they are operating. This position also offers an opportunity to develop new methods for data collection and analysis. Social scientists will be able to write about their experiences and otherwise contribute to the academic literature in their field after participation.
• Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation (which requires that applicants report their employment, residence and lifestyle activities for the past seven years) and must meet the eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Applicants will also undergo a 4-month training program at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, including orientation to the military/deployment environment, in-depth country briefings, and multi-disciplinary social science concepts and methods.
• Qualifications:
o US citizen
o PhD (or ABD) in anthropology or related field such as sociology, political science, history, theology, economics, public policy, social psychology or area studies
o Experience living or working overseas for extended periods
o Comprehensive physical exam within last year
o Ability to travel to Afghanistan and/or Iraq
o Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance
o Ability to work in a team environment
o Ability to work with social scientists from other disciplines
o An open-minded attitude towards a variety of concepts and methods
o Willingness to work with the military
• In addition to the above requirements, the following are preferred:
o Experience living or working in the Middle East
o Arabic, Pashtoo or Dari language skills
• Start date: open
• Salary: negotiable, depending on experience and qualifications
• All inquiries should be directed to Dr. Janice Laurence, Director of Human Resources: Janice.laurence@us.army.mil
Human Terrain System on Wisconsin Public Radio
Kathleen Dunn - 10/09D
A new project that embeds university professors with military units in Iraq and Afghanistan has drawn fierce criticism from the academic community. After nine, Kathleen Dunn talks with anthropologists on both sides of the issue.
Guests:
9:00 - Marcus B. Griffin, cultural anthropologist who is working with the U.S. Army as part of the Human Terrain System in Iraq.
9:30 - David Price, Associate Professor of anthropology and sociology, St. Martin's University, Washington. (9:30)
http://www.marcusgriffin.com/blog/
http://www.wpr.org/ideas/programnotes.cfm
God, give me a break already
I'm pleasantly surprised to see that the naysayers are far fewer than those who feel they can make a difference (and even get paid to do said). I was concerned that our intellectual brothers would leave us hanging coping with death, dying and grief over this friggin code of ethics saving lives and animals <dumb ass grin>.
Our last Anthropology thread was an intriguing eye opener. I certainly hope there's a few more like Marc willing to get involved.
This link sort of gets there without all the negative aspects which come with any operation.
Quote:
Conducting military operations in a low-intensity conflict without ethnographic and cultural intelligence is like building a house without using your thumbs: it is a wasteful, clumsy, and unnecessarily slow process at best, with a high probability for frustration and failure. But while waste on a building site means merely loss of time and materials, waste on the battlefield means loss of life, both civilian and military, with high potential for failure having grave geopolitical consequences to the loser.
Many of the principal challenges we face in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (OIF and OEF) stem from just such initial institutional
disregard for the necessity to understand the people among whom our forces operate as well as the cultural characteristics and propensities of the enemies we now fight.
More at the link
Ab-so-lutely on all counts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Stan
You're quite right, Goesh. An ambitious step forward for the Army, but the bar is set a tad too high. That and the fact that we have our own assets - those who were neglected for years in the form of FAOs and intel Os and Es. Culturally aware and language background to boot. The Army blindly squandered her best assets just prior to needing them folks more than ever. We should have kept those soldiers In Service and Up to Speed.
Sorry, but I have to disagree with employing Peace Corps Volunteers. Nothing personal, they kinda went too local even for me.
PhD is overkill, get advanced degree candidates.
Re: the PC PC (not redundant), I even got shot at by one -- once. ;)