Hi everyone,

Thank you to everyone who replied to my last thread about groups like Code Pink and biases in the media. Yes, the media is out to make money, and much of that profession must rethink what it means to regain the people's trust. I think in the end, war is war, and violence takes on many crazy forms. Once again, I appreciate the thought provoking perserpectives everyone has shared. Now, onto this thread...

I just started looking at an archive Jennifer has shared about the debate of social sciences and COIN operations. From my own academic background in art history, art history and anthropology are very interrelated as sister disiplines. Instead of observing the societal structure of people, art historians examine a culture's art, getting to know its context, reason for creation, and what it can tell about the society that made it. It's all about understanding culture like anthropolog. The approach art history takes in examining physical evidence of a culture seems to me almost the same as anthropology. In the end, its all about understanding a culture different than our own, right?

Art history is a humanity, not a social science per say, but could it be useful in COIN operations when it comes to studying culture? Many art historians in their fieldwork live with the culture to study them and their art. I would like my academic experience to help the armed forces if I become an army civilian in my career.

I understand that anthropologists would be angry that their disipline is being incorporated into COIN, but the world is becoming a global place and people, academics and service personnel alike have to work together to address the problems we face today. I was just at an event sponsored at my school by the Bruin Republicans that had a retired Army general, and two "former" terrorits talk about the dangers of religious fundamentalism a few days ago. I may write a paper on the possibilities of art history and COIN when I have the time this summer.

Naomi