ABSTRACT
Malinowskihasdefendedtheanthropologist's practicaleffortsincolonialadministrationwith theassertionthat"socialengineeringissimply theempiricalaspectofsocialtheory".I t isnot mypurposeheretoquestiontheproprietyofthe socialscientist'sfunctioninginpracticalmatters wherehisspecialknowledgemaybeofuseto administrators.Butitdoesnot,asGluckman andothershavealreadypointedout,followthat hisunderstandingofferedasadvicewillnecessarilyinfluencethepoliciesoftheadministrator orthatitwillactuallyproduceeffectswhichare ofbenefittothemajorityofthepeopleinthe contactedcommunity.Infact,ithasbeensuggestedthatforthecolonialsituation,atleast, theresultsmaybejusttheopposite-thatthe anthropologist'sprofessionaladvicemay,ifused atall,servetofacilitatethemanipulationofthe localpopulationinviolationoftheirownimmediateinterests.
