ABSTRACT
The concept of the public issue has become useful in anthropological fieldwork and social impact assessment related to development projects. A public issue is defined as a subject of deep interest to an individual or group that can be acted upon, if people so decide, to protect and maintain control of changes in their environment. The outstanding anthropological contribution to social impact assessment is the manner in which fieldworkers enter into a community, understand cultural dynamics, and translate cultural understanding to decision-makers. Anthropology is unique in its commitment to the emic, or insider’s, point of view. Participant observation adds a critical and much needed dimension to social impact assessment and mitigation. The concept of social network is a valuable contribution of social science and a central methodological principle in issue-centered social impact assessment (SIA). The SIA is used as a tool in promoting the long-term management of a development effort from a social perspective.
