Why the World Needs Anthropologists

Why does the world need anthropology and anthropologists more than ever? The second edition of Why the World Needs Anthropologists brings together prominent academic, practicing, and applied anthropologists to answer this provocative question.

This new edition advocates a proactive and ethically engaged discipline that not only observes societal transformations but also contributes to solving the most pressing global issues. It proposes that anthropology must be at the front and center of the solving table. In an accessible and appealing style, each author explores anthropology’s social value and practical applications. Contributors share their career paths and how they use their anthropological skills and knowledge outside academia. They also provide specific suggestions to anthropologists and the public on how anthropology can offer powerful insights and solutions in complex and unpredictable times. Each chapter includes a list of recommendations - DOs and DON’Ts - from the authors. With such practical resources, this book is a toolkit to harness anthropology’s full potential.

This one-of-a-kind volume is essential reading for fledgling and established anthropologists, social scientists, and the general public.

Dan Podjed is a Senior Research Fellow at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Associate Professor at the University of Ljubljana, and Advisor to the Director at the Institute for Innovation and Development of the University of Ljubljana. Dan is the founder of the EASA Applied Anthropology Network and initiator of the symposium Why the World Needs Anthropologists.

Carla Guerrón Montero is an applied cultural anthropologist and Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Material Culture Studies (CMCS) at the University of Delaware (Newark, United States). Carla has studied tourism and mobilities, food and nutrition, nation-building, and world anthropologies in Latin America. She has conducted fieldwork in Brazil, Ecuador, Grenada, and Panama.