ABSTRACT
Today's world is very different from that in which anthropology began. The world of today is vastly changed from the one in which anthropology came of age. The world's diversity presents challenges as well as opportunities for practicing anthropologists. Anthropologists are very concerned about globalization, in all of its various manifestations. Globalization refers to the increasing interconnectedness of our major systems, together with the movement across the planet of people, goods, money, ideas, opportunities, and problems. International development is enormously controversial within anthropology, and has proved over the past fifty years to be an uncertain and frustrating undertaking. Commentators have noted that anthropology has so far seemed most comfortable on the margins, preferring to play the role of critic and sometimes naysayer. Real impact involves getting anthropology into the business of policymaking. Academic anthropology has excelled at the discovery, analysis, and description of how issues, problems, and opportunities look from the ground level up.
