Applied Anthropology and its Practice: Insights from the Classroom

In order to assess the baseline ideas about applied anthropology held by a class of anthropology graduate students, the class participated in several pedagogical activities, both qualitative and quantitative. Students analyzed the results of the qualitative activity, a self-reflection on the nature of applied anthropology and the role of practice within it, and the quantitative activity, a cultural domain analysis using free listing, pile sorting, and multidimensional scaling. These activities and the subsequent analysis provided the students with a clearer understanding of their knowledge of applied anthropology, and the role of practice within it, to guide their engagement with the literature and future classes.