Taking anthropology to the street: A study of the problems of practicing anthropology

The purpose of this dissertation is to identify practicing anthropologists, their forms of practice and the difficulties of creating a real practice arm. This research is important because such an exposition facilitates a dialogue between practicing, applied, and academic anthropologists. This study is also significant because practitioners have developed a strong national presence to support programs and publications designed to influence students and the course offerings of anthropology departments.;In light of the fact that anthropology is not a compact discipline, I consider their definition of anthropology, as a worldview, to be important. This is then used in my discussion of the role of Local Practitioner Organizations and the creation of a professional identity. The issue of power also runs through these discussions as does the question, Is this anthropology? This is also used as the basis for discussing the problems of practicing anthropology and the possible creation of some form of practitioner certification.;A description of the nature of the practice of anthropology is provided through numerous examples. These form the base from which I ask the question, Are their activities consistent with their definition of anthropology and do they practice and/or sell anthropology?;I determine that there are some contradictions involved in their practice of anthropology, such as their rejection of the American Anthropological Association's Principles of Professional Responsibility, their abandonment of the concept of cultural relativism, and their truncation of the core methodology of anthropology. Therefore, I ultimately conclude that, although they are trained as anthropologists and believe they use anthropology at work, they do not generally practice and/or sell anthropology, even as they define it.;I suggest that the differences between practicing anthropologists and applied anthropologists are due to historical circumstances and decreasing academic employment opportunities. I further propose that their commitment to different work sectors should be the basic criterion for differentiating among the various groups within the community of anthropologists.