Comments on: News Flash: The Army’s Human Terrain Team in the New York Times, Anthropologists still Pissed.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:57:15 +0000

I find it interesting that an anthropology professor of Dr. Gonzalez’ stature is willing to make assessment and assertions without having conducted thorough research in the area, written no papers that have been based on fieldwork in the area and have no real-world evidence to support the press statements that he’s making on behalf of the AAA. It seems to me that he’s coming dangerously close to violating his own association’s code of ethics if he’s not careful. This is what happens when you spend too much time teaching on end. You lose touch with how to actually apply the discipline in the field.

By: Carmen

Carmen — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:38:45 +0000

I have heard many different things about this issue. If anthropologists can help, in some way, Iraq and Afghanistan then “GO Anthropologists.” But if the purpose is to control them, then “Watch out”… remember the code of ethics!

By: Walter

Walter — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:13:21 +0000

I think it’s great! Anthropologists are going to save so many lives, ours and the opposition’s alike. How many times has somebody made a stupid mistake because they had no idea it was a bad idea and all hell broke loose. Shoot, I had Anthro 101 30 years ago and I coulda told ya it was a flamingly bad idea to give Iraqi kids soccer balls with the Saudi flag on them. The flag contains the name of Allah and now it’s rolling around in the dirt with people’s feet touching the sacred name of Allah. Any first year froshie could have told the government their goodwill gesture would blow up in their face.

How many more things like that are waiting to happen that an anthroplolgist will stop? “Uh, dude, please don’t step on that prayer mat.” “Whatever you do, don’t touch their little boy on the head” “And for Pete’s sake, don’t point the soles of your boots at their daughters!”

I have two brothers over there now and one in Afghanistan. I’d really like to give them the chance to come home in one piece.

By: Jon Marks

Jon Marks — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:12:10 +0000

This thread is interesting to me because I have to make a report on ethics to the AAA Long-Range Planning committee next month. Personally I am troubled by the prospect that anthropology would ever be used to worsen or curtail anyone’s life, which seems to me to defeat the very purpose of anthropology, and so I tend to be sympathetic to the (idealistic, but far from naive) Price-Gusterson-Gonzalez position. That said, however, I must fully disclose that McFate was the Maid of Honor at my wedding…
Anyway, I would be interested to check back on this blog some day and see what other people have to say.

By: Donna

Donna — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:52:03 +0000

Ha, Mark, you beat me to it, I was just coming on to note that David Price, author of “Anthropological Intelligence: The Deployment and Neglect of American Anthropology in the Second World War,” was interviewed on the Diane Rehm show (http://wamu.org/programs/dr/) today, along with Montgomery McFate, senior social science advisor with the Human Terrain System (and a couple of members of the armed forces, Col. John Agoglia, director, U.S. Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, and Lt. Col. Edward Villacres, military leader of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Human Terrain Team).

Check out the conversation, it’s interesting, and explores many of the different perspectives from and about anthropology in government and the military.