Comment Going public: some thoughts on anthropology in and of the world (original) (raw)

A year ago, in June 2012, I attended the RAI conference on 'Anthropology in the World' at the British Museum. Its aim was, in RAI director David Shankland's words, to 'explore and evaluate the position, role, and influence of anthropology outside academia'. There were 456 participants from 43 different countries, more than half of them not based at any British university. The organization had of course been particularly keen to attract anthropologists working outside academia. 1 Not surprisingly, there were many younger colleagues among them. They used their creativity and enthusiasm to craft their own niche in the wider world. Thirty-two panels presented a spectrum of different ways to engage with the world, ranging from diplomacy, education, security studies, museum work, and business to journalism, public health, law, tourism, and government. The keynote address was delivered by Gillian Tett, who entered the crowded BP Lecture Hall virtually, on a Cloud from New York City. This Cambridge anthropologist turned Financial Times journalist addressed the problems of remaining faithful to and proud of anthropology while doing journalism in high finance circles at a time when the arrogance and hubris of the financial sector still had no limits. She offered comfort and encouragement to the tribe in the auditorium. The speakers I heard were so devoted and passionate that almost all transgressed the strict time limits. Given the number of speakers and the conference's topic, the quality and relevance of the presentations were quite diverse. One of the most striking performances was a stand-up comedy act by Australian anthropologist Grant McCall, who, in lightweight suit with pith helmet, talked about anthropologists as characters in the movies and on TV from Charlie Chan to Tempe 'Bones' Brennan. His vivid and hilarious 'show' also ran out of time. Actually, the widespread overrun on time points to a problem within anthropology more generally: the inability of many of us to communicate what we know in a brief and accessible manner. To my mind, the rich diversity in topics and viewpoints reflected a healthy state of the art, but at the same time exposed the present-day weakness of the discipline: its lack of a centripetal force and common mission. It made me think of Eric R. Wolf, who appeared to me in a dream the night before the Sunday panels, and his