Who should be the beneficiaries of publicly funded anthropological research?
That was theÌýquestion 91ÑÇÉ« students in Professor Karl Schmid’s second-year Public Anthropology class addressed in their submissions to the – a North America-wide contest involving 4,000 students in 21 schools.
Seven students in Schmid's class won awards for theirÌýop-edÌýpieces, whichÌýdebated the ultimate legacy of anthropological research. Their writings focused on the role of publicly funded research conducted by cultural anthropologists and specifically addressed the ethical question: Should these researchers be held publicly accountable for explaining how those they study have benefited from their research?
The award winners are: Nicole Collver, Vanessa Fallone, Fatima Khan, Kate McFeeters, Amanda Mountford,ÌýSardar Saadi and Colin Savoie.
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| Above: Seven 91ÑÇÉ« students are the winners of theÌý2010 Public Anthropology Competition. From left, Colin Savoie,ÌýNicole Collver, Vanessa Fallone, Kate McFeeters, Amanda Mountford, Fatima Khan and Sardar Saadi |
"Anthropology has a principle called 'Do no harm.'" says Schmid. "Students were asked to think it through and decide if they agreed with a position posed by anthropology Professor Robert Borofsky, director of the Public Anthropology Center in the United States. HeÌýasked if there should be a requirement for anthropologists at the end of their research to create a public statementÌýoutlining to what extent they have fulfilled the obligations that were laid out at the beginning of their research."
Students in Schmid's class had to constructÌýtheir argument and write it inÌýa non-academic style intended for publication in North American newspapers. The focus of theÌýcompetition was to improveÌýstudents’ critical thinking and writing skills.
Left: Karl Schmid
AÌýcontract faculty member in the Department of Anthropology in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, SchmidÌýencourages his students to enter the competition. His courseÌýaddresses the role of anthropology in the contemporary world and poses the question: How can anthropology apply its methods and insights to local and global problems of inequality, injustice and human suffering?
Competition award winners were judged by their student contemporaries across North America. Students wereÌýalso graded separately for the course onÌýthe following critieria:Ìýa clear expression of the point of the article, persuasiveness, thoughtful organization, clarity and ease of comprehension by non-academic readers and, finally, a polite and respectful tone – as opposed to righteous indignation.