ABSTRACT
In sorting out the role of the discipline, the author suggests several principles and methods that can guide anthropologists to play a constructive role in the arena of political and social confrontation. Anthropologists involved in activism find themselves in contested spaces in which there are competing forces with diverse perspectives. At the same time, publications in anthropological and other academic journals are necessary to inform the discipline of the importance, methods, and outcomes of linking anthropology with activism. The leading anthropology departments emphasize theory to the detriment of methodology, producing graduates best adapted to academic positions that are increasingly scarce. Anthropologists must find effective ways to engage students in developing the motivation and the skills necessary to be involved in research-related activism. Anthropologists as activists take sociopolitical positions, join with similar-minded groups to collectively express their views, hold signs, and participate in marches, rallies, and protests.
