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Websites
- The Canadian Anthropology Society
www.cas-sca.ca
Home of Canada’s national professional organization for cultural anthropology, this site includes a history of the organization, a list of jobs for professionals and students, and relevant publications.
- The Canadian Association for Physical Anthropology
www.capa-acap.net
This site includes information about jobs, the association’s annual meeting, student-related opportunities (like fieldwork) and information on various types of physical/biological anthropology.
- The Royal Anthropological Institute’s Discover Anthropology
www.discoveranthropology.org.uk/about-anthropology/what-is-anthropology.html
This fantastic resource contains information about famous and influential anthropologists and their work, a background and history of the discipline, information about different areas of specialization, and a list of short, relevant films on different aspects of anthropology.
- The American Anthropological Association
http://www.americananthro.org/
Home to the largest organization of anthropological scholars and enthusiasts, this website includes resources such as the history of the organization, all of its recognized subfields, upcoming and former meetings, publications and professional developments.
- The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
http://www.anthropology.si.edu/naa/index.htm
This site is another helpful resource as it is a both an archive of Human Studies films and a general anthropological archive. In this respect, it offers a robust contemporary and historical collection of anthropological materials.
- Anthro{dendum}
https://anthrodendum.org/
This excellent blog relates anthropological ideas to contemporary politics, popular culture, and other cultural realms.
Videos
Altimare, Emily L. 2007. Beyond Ethnography: Corporate and Design Anthropology. Arlington, VA: American Anthropological Association. DVD, 25 min.
This film follows the work that is done by applied anthropologists who work for the General Motors Corporation in the United States. It highlights how many of the fieldwork methods and key ideas of anthropology can be used in non-academic sectors to help find solutions to various “problems” experienced by corporations and other organizations.
Holness, Jennifer, and David Sutherland. 2006. Speakers for the Dead. Montréal, QC: National Film Board of Canada. DVD, 49 min.
This film introduces students to the subfield of archaeology and the methods of excavation that archaeologists employ through a detailed reconstruction of an early Afro-Canadian cemetery. In the process, the film highlights histories of racial tension and exclusion within the framework of Canadian society, thereby providing an important arena for discussions of how anthropologists can contribute to the construction of a multicultural and inclusionary Canadian society.
Jenkins, Emma. (2015)INEA Project, Bournemouth University, UK. “Want to be an Archaeologist”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao4vVcfvyuE
Provides an overview of what professional archaeologists do, showing a dig carried out in South Jordan with helpful advice on the realities of archaeological practice. Multiple roles in a field dig are explained by the different members of the teams and the challenges that they face as they explore critical parts of ancient society.
Owles, Ed., and Cinzia Rocchi. 2006. “Inside Anthropology.” Royal Anthropological Institute video, 5:28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMCvW8L-uts
This video provides a broad overview of the types of research and work that anthropologists do. It offers a broad glimpse of the discipline and is suitable for students and for those without prior knowledge of anthropology. In particular, it seeks to dispel the common assumption and myth that anthropology is only about the study of past societies (archaeology).
Smiley, Francis E. 2006. Anthropology: Real People, Real Careers. Arlington, VA: American Anthropological Association. DVD, 48 min.
The field of applied anthropology is growing at a steady rate due to the fact that non-academic sectors including the fields of health, government, and even the corporate sector recognize that anthropologists possess valuable skills that help within inter- and intra-cultural negotiation and understanding within the context of increasingly multicultural and diverse societies. This video follows the work of a variety of applied anthropologists.
Books and Articles
Agbe-Davies, Anna S. 2011. “Archaeology and Anthropology: Tango, Pas de Deux, or Dance Dance Revolution.” The SAA Archaeological Record 11(4): 21, 47.
Agbe-Davies considers how well archaeology is integrated into the larger discipline of anthropology. She asserts that anthropology continues to have an influence on what archaeologists do. She also stresses that anthropology as a whole benefits from an archaeological perspective.
Ashmore, Wendy, and Robert J. Sharer. 2013. Discovering Our Past: A Brief Introduction to Archaeology. 6th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
The ten chapters in this slim volume provide an excellent overview of archaeology, particularly as it is practiced by North American archaeologists. In addition to the typical chapters one might expect on archaeological field and analytical methods, Ashmore and Sharer also consider the personalities and events that shaped the development of contemporary archaeology. Another strength of this volume is the two chapters that consider the varying theoretical perspectives used by archaeologists to interpret the past. The final chapter on archaeology’s relevance to today is perhaps too brief.
Boas, Franz. 1899. “Anthropology”. Science 9 (212): 93–96.
Franz Boas is widely recognized as the father of American anthropology. Here, he lays out his vision for anthropology, focusing on the physical appearance of humans (biological anthropology), the languages humans speak (linguistic anthropology), and the customs and beliefs of humans (archaeology and cultural anthropology). Notable in Boas’s discussion is that he does not separate archaeology and cultural anthropology into distinct disciplines but sees the former as an extension of the latter into the past.
Behar, Ruth. 2007. Ethnography in a Time of Blurred Genres. Anthropology and Humanism 32 (2):145-155.
At a time when fiction bleeds into memoir, is ethnography art or method? In this work, Behar looks at the writing of fiction by anthropologists and what it means for ethnography. To provide the field with a strong comprehension of the “other” we must embrace the method of ethnography with the genre, and to see that story is at the heart of effective accounts.
Dupras, T., J. Schultz, S. Wheeler, and L. Williams. 2006. Forensic Recovery of Human Remains: Archaeological Approaches. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press.
Students fascinated with the television show Bones may find this book of interest. The opening chapter distinguishes between forensic anthropologists that focus on analyzing skeletal or other physical remains and forensic archaeologists who work to recover human remains and associated materials. The authors provide concrete procedures used in the forensic recovery of human remains, and these differ from those typically presented in the media.
Fuentes, Agustin. 2011. Biological Anthropology: Concepts and Connections. 2nd ed. Boston: McGraw Hill.
Fuentes provides a strong and detailed overview of biological anthropology, beginning with the basics of evolutionary theory. He considers human biology and genetics, and discussed the behavior and biology of non-human primates. The evolution of primates in general and hominins in particular are covered in four of the books eleven chapters. Modern human biological diversity is explored in one of the closing chapters, including the issue of “race.” The final chapter notes that human evolution is an ongoing process.
Gunn, Wendy, Ton Otto, and Rachel Charlotte Smith, eds. 2013. Design Anthropology: Theory and Practice. London: Bloomsbury.
This edited book provides an excellent overview of design anthropology with engaging accounts of practitioners in the academy and the field. The editors define the emergence of design anthropology as a field, while the chapter authors cover such topics as: connecting anthropological theory to design prototyping, the role of anthropology in design research, digital culture, heritage design, and decolonizing design innovation.
Hasan, Khwaja A. 1975. “What Is Medical Anthropology?” Medical Anthropology Newsletter 6 (3): 7–10.
Hasan shows ties between biological anthropology and medicine, noting that many early biological anthropologists were medical doctors. Today, medical anthropologists may be based in anthropology departments or in schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, or public health. Medical anthropologists are integral to public health efforts, as it is now recognized that diseases have social and cultural components, as well as biological elements.
Hedican, Edward J. 2008. Applied Anthropology in Canada: Understanding Aboriginal Issues. 2nd ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Hedican explores the contributions of applied anthropology to understanding Aboriginal issues. In such contexts, applied anthropologists work on Aboriginal legal issues such as land claims, and they conduct research on how to ameliorate the economic and healthcare needs and conditions of Aboriginal peoples living on reserves and in urban contexts.
Henderson, A. Gwynn and Nicolas R. Laracuente, eds. 2011. “Special Forum: Careers in Archaeology.” The SAA Archaeological Record 11 (2): 5–43.
The editors have assembled a dozen archaeologists, who reflect on their own careers in archaeology. These papers are especially valuable as they show the range of opportunities available to students who wish to pursue this line of work. Some archaeologists work in local, state, or federal governments, while others are educators or work in the business world.
Keenleyside, Anne, and Richard Lazenby. 2014. A Human Voyage: Exploring Biological Anthropology. 2nd Canadian ed. Toronto: Nelson.
Featuring the research of Canadian biological anthropologists, this text explores current evidence for, and theories about human evolution and migration, evolutionary theory, human diversity, and the biology of contemporary and past human populations.
Kedia, Satish, and John van Willigen, eds. 2005. Applied Anthropology: Domains of Application. Westport: Praeger Publishers.
The editors have assembled a series of papers on the practice of applied anthropology across a wide-range of private and public sector scenarios. Some of the subject matter areas include anthropological practice in business and industry, development and migration, education, and the environment, as well as topics focusing on the elderly, health and nutrition, and the future state of the field. The texts are approachable and provide the reader with a sense of the kind of work an applied anthropologist can do.
Landau, Patricia M., and D. Gentry Steele. 1996. “Why Anthropologists Study Human Remains.” American Indian Quarterly 20 (2, Special Issue: Repatriation: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue): 209–228.
Landau and Steele chose an American Indian journal to present their case for why biological anthropologists study human remains. Their goal is to demonstrate that there are legitimate—and important reasons—for such studies to a critical and potentially hostile audience. They make several important points, including that skeletal remains contain unique information that cannot be acquired from living peoples, such as about hereditary diseases.
Mackey, Eva. 2002. The House of Difference: Cultural Politics and National Identity in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
In this ethnographic study of Euro-Canadian identity, Canadian anthropologist Eva Mackey examines cultural perceptions and stereotypes of “Canadianness.” She pays particular attention to the role of official policies and perceptions of multiculturalism in shaping Canadian values and ideas about cultural difference. In the end, her work demonstrates that Canadian society has never been truly “accepting” of racial, religious, or ethnic difference.
Robbins, Richard, Maggie Cummings, Karen McGarry, and Sherri Larkin. 2013. Cultural Anthropology: A Problem-Based Approach. 2nd Canadian ed. Toronto: Nelson.
This introductory text adopts a Canadian perspective to explore key issues and debates in contemporary cultural anthropology. Highlighting the fieldwork and publications of Canadian anthropologists, this book advocates a problem-based approach to explore and solve a number of key questions such as “how do we develop a sense of identity, and how is identity learned.”
Sebastian, Lynne. 2003. “The Awful Truth About Archaeology.” The SAA Archaeological Record 3: (2): 35–37.
In this entertaining article, Sebastian contrasts what archaeologists actually do with what the general public thinks that archaeologists do. She notes that most perceptions of archaeology are formed by watching movies, such as those in the Indiana Jones franchise. In contrast to Hollywood’s portrayals, archaeology is slow, painstaking work. Despite this, however, Sebastian shows that “archaeology really is exciting.”
Selig, Ruth Osterweis, Marilyn R. London, and P. Ann Kaup, eds. 2004. Anthropology Explored. Revised and Expanded. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books.
The editors collect 36 essays originally presented in the Smithsonian’s AnthroNotes, a newsletter for educators that summarizes key discoveries or issues from all aspects of anthropology. The engaging essays in this volume are organized into three sections: Investigations Origins and Variation; Examining Our Archaeological Past; and Exploring Our Many Cultures. Most of the essays have been updated by the authors with critical comments and new information discovered since they were originally written. Students will enjoy these short essays and the cartoons of Robert L. Humphrey sprinkled throughout the volume.
Smith, Michael E. 2010. “Just How Useful is Archaeology for Scientists and Scholars in Other Disciplines?” The SAA Archaeological Record 10 (4): 15–20.
Smith asks whether archaeology produces information that is relevant and useful to other disciplines and if producing such information is of value to archaeologists themselves. He considers three themes related to “archaeology beyond archeology”: human ecodynamics, modeling of complex adaptive systems, and comparative social science. Human ecodynamics links archaeologists, ecologists, and historical environmentalists. The modeling of complex systems integrates other disciplines than archaeology and ecology and is considered rigorous. Comparative social sciences, including geography, economics, and social history, have much to learn from archaeology but archaeology has had minimal influence so far on these fields.
Strang, Veronica. 2009. What Anthropologists Do. Oxford: Berg.
Written for students, this book provides illustrations of many ways anthropology is being used in everyday life. The author defines what anthropology is and what students should expect to learn in anthropology courses. More importantly, the author discusses why students should study anthropology and considers the broad range of careers available to students who major in anthropology, including advocacy, human rights, environmental issues, museums, business, and marketing.