In the world of anthropology, there is a major focus on many amazing anthropologists such as Max Weber, Lewis Henry Morgan, Margaret Mead, and one who is considered by many to be the father of anthropology, Franz Boas. Acting as a guide, his contributions have laid the foundation for numerous ideologies, theories, and studies of human culture. For example, one of the most infamous studies of Margaret Mead is through a technique called visual anthropology where Mead studies character formation in three different cultures, the Balinese, the Iatumal, and the American. Personally, I really like Margaret Mead’s methods and since I met her I have studied a lot of her previous work. During my first semester in graduate school, she was eager to continue learning about those who paved the way for me to study anthropology. However, as I sat through course after course learning about all of these anthropologists and their wonderful contributions, there were a couple of things that I noticed. One, there were no in-depth studies on black anthropologists, two in almost every class I attended I was the only minority, and three when I started participating in fieldwork I realized that there were very few minorities that were part of it. of anthropology as such. a whole and I began to wonder why. Was it due to scientific racism related to earlier periods of anthropology? Is it because minorities feel uncomfortable or not accepted in the field? Or is it simply because minorities are not exposed to anthropology? Whatever the reason, perhaps it is a silent theme that seems to dwell in the world of anthropology.
scientific racism
Make no mistake, racism was front and center during the early stages of anthropology, as it was developed during a time when racism was seen as the next fashion statement. Unfortunately, those biased views found their way into the work of some of anthropology’s most prominent figures. The scientific racism that different minorities endured during the early years of anthropology can be very daunting to learn about without making your heart feel a little heavy or sad. This heaviness is something I have seen displayed by almost everyone who finds out about what happened during those times. For example, the first time a teacher showed a film about the human zoo, there was a feeling of discomfort that pervaded the room and a heated argument ensued afterwards. Expressions of shock, pain, and disappointment were on the surface of the discussion. The human zoo was around during the 19th and early 20th centuries when socialists, scientists, and anthropologists collected humans of various ethnicities from many parts of the world to display for entertainment purposes. Europeans around the world would pay to look at humans as if they were animals, and in some cases, animals were lumped in with humans for comparison.
Is it acceptance or exposure?
Personally, I’ve never experienced a moment where someone made me feel like I didn’t belong in the field, but there were definitely times when I felt like my opinions weren’t as accepted or valued as my white peers. However, I think this is something minorities in almost all lines of work face from some people who indulge in an ignorant mindset. Whatever the case, it’s still awkward and acceptance in the Anthropology field wasn’t always like this. On the one hand, you had the majority of anthropologists constantly studying blacks and other minorities to prove that they were inferior to their white successors and that their lives were worthless among many other horrible preconceptions. Because of these frivolous minority studies, many blacks did not accept anthropology and chose to distance themselves from the practice. Instead, most African Americans liked sociology and history when they continued their education. The number of black anthropologists was so small that there were only about 10 black anthropologists at the beginning of the 20th century. Now, today, the number of black anthropologists has succeeded well beyond 10 people, but the numbers are still relatively low. As the race and culture wars have helped break down some barriers for minorities, it has not yet made its connection to anthropology. Once again, I must ask the question why?
One theory that I have considered is that exposure to anthropology is not fully present in African American culture. From my own experience, I know that I was exposed to the possibility of being a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse, a teacher, and the typical conventional jobs that are unconsciously forced on children through various media. Anthropology was not one of those options, in fact I didn’t get a real introduction to anthropology until I was asked to take Cultural Anthropology as a required course during my time as an undergraduate. Fortunately, that course allowed me to explore a world of cultures and ultimately change my overall career path. The lack of exposure comes not only from the cultural aspects, but also seems to come from an educational point of view. As a college student, I soon realized that there weren’t many studies on African-American anthropologists, which led me to do my own research on African-American anthropologists. During the research, I learned how Franz Boas was not only the teacher of white anthropologists, but also of a black anthropologist. I was fascinated by learning about African-American anthropologists, who also became my favorites and played important roles in anthropology like Zora Neal Hurston. Ms. Hurston was a student of Franz Boas and was in his class at the same time as fellow anthropologist Margaret Mead. Zora Neal Hurston was a well-known novelist, one who contributed to folklore, and an author. However, Zora Neal Hurston was also an anthropologist in her own right who studied with the best. Margaret Mead is always mentioned as a notable student of Franz Boas, but unfortunately in most courses Hurston is not even acknowledged. Then there was the fact that WEB DuBois compared himself to Franz Boas, read papers with Boas in London, and invited him to speak at the university where he taught in Atlanta, Georgia. Unfortunately, the collaboration of the two is not something you would typically learn in basic Anthropology courses, which is sad. The lack of exposure to the achievements of African-American anthropologists speaks volumes and sends the message that studying blacks is great, but acknowledging their contributions is powerless. Anthropology is a field that sheds light on a variety of topics throughout the world. Most importantly, it looks at the cultural disparities and similarities that ultimately connect people from all walks of life. Obviously, the exposure is not the main reason why minorities shy away from the field of anthropology, but it seems to have its own interest in the matter. The truth is that more diversity is needed in anthropology, and hopefully, as anthropology continues to progress, there will be a recognition of such forms that will ultimately provide those who would not even think of becoming anthropologists, since the People can’t divulge on something they have. has never been exposed.