Anthropologists, the State and Global Militarism in Relation to Africa
(CSU, Long Beach)
Anthropologists have long debated the utility value of their discipline outside of academia, as well as the ethical dilemmas involved. Most recently, the Human Terrain Teams and Project Minerva of the United States military have drawn our collective attention and concern. While much of the focus is currently on Iraq and Afghanistan, anthropologists should also be attentive to the potential effects of applying anthropological knowledge and perspectives in neighboring Africa, especially in the context of recent American interests and actions there, and with the new Obama administration taking its place on the global stage. This paper briefly outlines some causes for concern, e.g., the just-established and controversial United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the volatile situations in Somalia, Sudan, and Kenya. It discusses some of the ways in which anthropological input has already been utilized and to what effect. One purpose is to clarify some of the ethical dangers of practicing anthropology in the service of the state, especially one with a shifting global military agenda.