Does anthropology matter? Students and scholars at various levels of the academic ladder have grappled with the need to explain the significance of their discipline. Among one another, scholars can explain the intellectual merit of their work. However, US anthropologists have increasingly come under public scrutiny for an apparent lack of relevance for contemporary society. Parents ask, why pay thousands of dollars for their kids to shovel dirt or study exotic peoples? The random stranger asks “what is left to find?” Or, “who cares?” At the highest levels of government, current and former Lawmakers Lamar Smith (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Rand Paul (R-KY) have targeted anthropological projects as scapegoats for apparent bad spending by the National Science Foundation. By assembling a diversity of perspectives, the presenters in this colloquium highlight how anthropology is relevant beyond the classroom and shaping contemporary social life.
Presenters include:
Dr. Molly Doane, University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Christopher Hernandez, University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Morag Kersel, Depaul University
Dr. Jessica Pouchet, Northwestern University
Dr. Julienne Rutherford, University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Alaka Wali, Field Museum
Monday, March 11, 2019
2pm - 4pm
LCC, Lecture Center B2
