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Organization 1998
Acheson, James M. “Lobster Trap Limits: A Solution to a Communal Action Problem. Human Organization, 1998 Vol. 57 (1): 43-52 “Lobster Trap Limits: A Solution to a Communal Action Problem”,
by James M. Acheson, is a discussion of the need for limits on lobster
traps, and why they have or have not worked in various communities.
He chooses four island communities in To answer this question, he turns to his study of lobster tap limits.
Certain characteristics are necessary within a harbor gang to make
communally accepted traps limits feasible. Acheson finds that these
characteristics occur exclusively in those gangs that live and work
on islands. He describes four communities, and the similarities and
differences in how they approach the question of setting limits on
the number of lobster traps any one fisherman may use. The four islands
he discusses are Mohegan, Criehaven, He concludes that islands, rather than the mainland, are most likely to set limits, because they are perimeter-defended territories rather than nucleated ones - a close, small community is simply more likely to keep and stick to trap limit rules. Political entrepreneurship is always necessary; the limits that do exist only came about after years of hard work and campaigning on the part of highly successful fishermen. On the mainland, fishermen have very little incentive to set limits because there is no way to enforce them. Also, part-time fishers often provide competition, causing full-time fishers to set out more of their own traps in order to maintain a steady income. Ultimately, for both the centralized and decentralized means of determining norms, Acheron finds that “the nature of boundaries, ability to limit entry, political entrepreneurship, group size and social capital all play a role” (51) in the formation of these norms. CLARITY: 4
Agrawal, A. Profits
of the Move: The Economics of Collective Migration among the Raika Shepherds
in In this article, Arun Agrawal takes
an in depth look at the Raikas, one of the
largest groups of migrant pastoralists in The Raikas migrate in groups called dangs, the constituent unit of which is an ewar. Each dang has between eight and eighteen ewars. Agrawal studied thirteen different dangs and collected data on the expenditures and revenues that were accrued by each group over the course of the migration. From this data, he points out that those dangs with larger flock sizes are able to produce a larger profit. By banding together, herdsmen create economies that would not exist were they not to form a collective. Agrawal suggests the Raikas benefit from the collective mobility of banding together because it addresses the social, political, and environmental variability to which they are subjected. Collective mobility allows shepherds to become a vocal community, permitting them to strengthen their voice with numbers and thereby defend their own interests more effectively. Collective mobility also causes added exchange in market places because of the increased flock sizes. According to Agrawal, this increased interaction in the market is critical for the continuation of a traditional pastoralist lifestyle. The security benefits offered by this form of migration allows individuals who normally would be vulnerable on their own to establish a collective which is able to confront security risks, such as theft and other conflicts that arise in a constantly changing social environment. Agrawal sees the collective migration as necessary in the face of governmental forces which are trying to permanently settle these people. This attests to the complex and highly variable environments in which the Raika must thrive. Pastoralists achieve their livelihood through mobility, and this mobility is furthered by migrating collectively rather than as individuals as well as by market participation. Basically, when faced with conditions such as the Raika’s, migration has to take on a collective form, or it will not happen.
Alvarez, Robert R. Jr. La Maroma,
or The goal of this article is to explain the Mexican-American chile trade and the effects of imposed capitalism on the
middlemen entrepreneurs. The author argues that this account is an
ethnographic study of trading middlemen marketers in Furthermore, the article focuses largely on another definition that coincides with “la maroma.” This concept, called “chileros,” defines the idea of minimum capital means extending to maximum buying activity among Mexican entrepreneurs. Once again, using Juan as the prototype, the author stipulates that the requisite for “chilero” is an understanding of the variability of banks, capital access, and other information that can be carefully manipulated. Juan succeeds because he effectively employs trusted family members and friends, who do not require high working wages. As capital gain increases, Juan uses his banking skills to efficiently order inventory, select the best banks (Mexican middlemen are known to use at least 4 or 5 different banks), and account for payroll. Lastly, the article concludes with the information that the chile trade between CLARITY: 2
Andreatta, Susan
L. Agrochemical Exposure and Farmworker Health
in the Susan Andreatta addresses the agrochemical
problems three Although tourism has become one of the major economic strongholds
in the Many nontraditional food items are being grown for exportation to
the As of 1998, the Farmers must deal with a huge conflict of interest. They need to provide
food and shelter for their families, but at what cost? Health
risks, even death has been linked to prolonged exposure to biocides.
In The environment also suffers from ongoing biocide use. Run-off pollution from pesticides kills fish and makes bodies of water unsafe for people to consume. Many indigenous animals also have experienced population decreases. Many pesticide containers are improperly disposed of, and have been found near populated areas. Many farmers on the three islands have not been adequately educated
about the dangers of pesticides and their usage. Andreatta asserts
that the solution does not solely rest on education. Rather, the economic
interests in the
Andreatta, Susan
L. . Agrochemical Exposure and Farm Worker Health in the This article addresses the political ecology surrounding farm worker
health and environment in Through conducting over 100 interviews with farm workers, government and agency officials, transnational representatives, and healthcare officials, Andreatta gained a broad view of the history, present day, and future projection of agro-food production in these three countries. She provides a brief history of what led the plantocrats to abandon their large land plots due to economic devastations in the early 20th century. The governments of these three countries divided up the land and distributed small portions to poor and landless inhabitants, who were trying to compete in world trade markets. This did not prove successful in many ways, and by the 1970s, in attempts to jumpstart much needed economic development, governments of these countries opened their export base to a wide range of non-traditionally grown agro-foods. This, in turn, says Andreatta, negatively affected the health of farm workers. A number of health problems resulted.
The non-traditional plants attracted more pests in the tropical climates.
Due to the prolonged use of certain
agrochemicals, many farmlands have become “pesticide-tolerant
pest environments.” Another problem is that transnational corporations
which sell the agrochemicals in bulk to countries like The responsibility of learning how to properly use the agrochemicals lies on the farm workers themselves, who most often do not receive usage instructions from the transnational corporations. Commonly, farm workers do not wear protective clothing or take precautious measures when using these chemicals because these options are often more costly than the farmers can afford. As a result, laborers are often directly exposed to hazardous chemicals biweekly. There are hundreds of documented eye damage health cases, as well as very high percentage of reproductive damage. The author estimates an even higher rate of serious health complications that are unreported each year. CLARITY: 4
Berardi, Gigi. Application of Participatory Rural Appraisal in Gigi Berardi discusses,
in this article, the problems associated with the current extractive
research techniques being used in rural Berardi supports her claims by using the
Participatory Rural Appraisal method in a community similar to Village Berardi also concedes that the strength of the Participatory Rural Appraisal method is that it elaborates on the information on the complexities of the community that may play an important role in the eventual success of the projects. In this statement, she acknowledges that although the research approach is important and largely effective, it cannot always be the only method used. This is because the method is generally very subjective and not often statistical. Berardi stands by her claim, however, that Participatory Rural Appraisal is “good science” in that it is repeatable and dependable. CLARITY: 5
Chacko, Tomy. Artisanal Fishing Along
the In this article, Tomy Chacko describes
the economic situation of coastal Indians from Kerala,
especially along the Chacko then discusses the adaptations that have been utilized by the fishermen of Alleppey. Many valloms have been fitted with motors and modern equipment, and new vallom forms have been developed to increase productivity. These include the muri vallom which consists of two long valloms with nets placed between the two sections. In addition, the fishermen have developed the valiya vallom, which consists of a large wooden boat with attached motor and long nets that can reach the sea floor. Chacko argues that these two innovations allowed the fishing communities to fish farther out and for longer periods of time, as well as operate in stormy or rough conditions. In addition, the fishermen justify the use of motors because they can bring fish to the market faster, guaranteeing freshness. This in turn creates a higher income for the fishermen. Despite these mechanical adaptations however, many fishermen rely on the old ways of fishing. Chacko illustrates that many experienced fishermen feel that are too many negatives to owning and operating a motorized vessel. By surveying the fishermen who used motorboats, Chacko found that most of them had been fishing less than ten years. He found that after ten years, most fishermen went back to manually powered boats citing several reasons for making the switch. Motorized boats can cost at least 25,000 rupees to repair during the year; money that is not easily generated from fishing. In addition, one must factor in fuel costs and loan payments and other costs associated with motorized boats. Many of the elder fishermen also describe how the health of the population has also declined, for youths no longer get the exercise from pushing oars. This puts the population in a difficult situation though, for they cannot bring in large catches without resorting to motorized craft. Chacko ends by illustrating the lack of support by the Indian government for these coastal fishermen. These people only know how to fish, and their lifestyle is being threatened by large corporations bent on mining the sea of important resources. Chacko suggests that the Indian government should end commissions for low volume fishermen, and to promote new scientific research for producing smaller and cheaper motorized equipment. In this manner, the people of Alleppey coast can continue to live their lifestyle without the burden of debt or the destruction of their way of life. CLARITY: 5
In this article, Chesterfield and Enge immediately
lay out the premise for their research, stating, “in countries
such as Guatemala, where a large percentage of the female population
does not attend school or drops out after first grade, female teachers
are seen as providing greater opportunities for girls’ success
in school” (108). Next, they provide background information,
listing several numbers to illustrate They begin by describing their methodology
in order to show how they controlled this experiment. First of all,
they had the informants (teachers)
create “free lists” of terms, meaning they generated unrestricted
inventories of words used to describe or classify their students. Next, Finally, they analyze their data, supplementing the information with a number of statistical graphs and charts. Based on their research, the authors conclude “that rural teachers in general may see their students in a rather unfavorable light in their daily interactions in the classroom” (110). They also show that while the female teachers viewed the girls as most intelligent and the boys as most aggressive, male teachers associated both sexes equally with intelligence. Moreover, they did not see the boys as aggressive but rather as “know-it-alls.” By and large, the authors were surprised at how the terms reflected classroom behavior above academic performance. Overall, All in all, this article is concise and clear. However, the reader
will surely get the most out of it if he/she has a strong knowledge
of statistics with which to analyze the charts and graphs. In the end
though, CLARITY: 3
Cohen, Jeffrey H. Craft Production
and the Challenge of the Global Market: An Artisans’ Cooperative
in This article evaluates treadle loom textile production and market
trends for two competing Zapotec-speaking
communities; the more successful Teotitlan del
Valle and the smaller Santa Ana del Valle industry. To attempt gain
greater control over the export market, To combat the dominance exerted by Teotitlan industry
leaders, the residents of Teotitleco market knowledge is controlled
by merchants, independent producers, and pieceworkers. The merchants
control the flow of knowledge and style changes to foreign business
persons. Buyers dictate designs and color schemes, often coming to Teotitlan to
oversee production. Independent production in Teotitlan is
based around the household membership, and has deep roots to kinship
ties and friendships. In this way, the market has deeper roots than
that of the The The success, or lack thereof, in regards to CLARITY: 5 CHRIS COON. University of Wisconsin-Madison (Larry Nesper).
Everett, Margaret. Email, the Internet and computers have
revolutionized industry, politics and the everyday lives of millions
of people around the world. It has
become such a common place for so many people, that many can’t
remember living without it. But what about underdeveloped or economically
challenged countries that haven’t kept up with this whirlwind
of technological change? In her article, Margaret Everett brings up
the current and problematic issues associated with this change and
the role of the World Wide Web in Being that in that in less than a decade
the use of computers and the Internet has grown to unbelievable proportions
is not surprising
considering it’s ease of use and that it has created accessibility
to millions of different topics from around the world. Unfortunately, CLARITY: 4
Gordon, John L. The Resurgence of Applied Anthropology in a Post- Exotic World: An Australian Perspective. Human Organization, Fall 1998 Vol.57(2):127-132. John Gordon addresses the topic of applied
anthropology research in the field of industry in this article. Gordon
uses several different
types of evidence to support his argument that applied anthropology
can once again have important uses after a period of decline. He focuses
on this area of anthropology because he argues that the changing economic
and global cultural conditions have permanently altered the ability
of people to do “exotic” fieldwork. He discusses the history
of fieldwork in anthropology as part of this argument, examining periods
when many did their fieldwork abroad, and other periods when people
did research closer to home. He argues that external political factors
often affected this tendency. He states that the period before World
War II encouraged American anthropologists to study their native country,
while after World War II, their new position as a world leader encouraged
them to study abroad. More recently, budget cuts in government funding
for such endeavors has once again encouraged studies of the He begins by using a biography of, Elton Mayo, a native Australian
who became a professor in the The article’s evidence is very clear, however, some of the conclusions Gordon draws can be confusing. The historical evidence and analysis of the present situation of anthropology was convincing. However, his conclusion that college anthropology departments should focus on training for global studies could have used a more understandable explanation of the roles that anthropologists play in this transition. CLARITY: 4
Handwerker, W. In “Why Violence?…” Handwerker tests three hypotheses that explain domestic violence against women by their partners. Handwerker begins with statistics on the consequences of domestic violence. For example, women who experience violence have greater risks of arthritis, hypertension and heart disease, and their children have a greater likelihood to experience physical, emotional and sexual violence. Handwerker first focuses on the “rotten man” hypothesis, which explains violence against women as the result of cognitive and emotional states in men that are conditioned by life experiences, along with the genotypes and social learning that are reflected by these and encoded during childhood, and labels men either “good” or “bad.” He then describes a second hypothesis centering on social circumstances. This hypothesis states that violence comes out of situations that produce stress, threat or frustration. Finally, he points to the possibility of a hypothesis focusing on social relationships as an explanation for violence. In this hypothesis, power inequalities are the cause of violence, and power equalities actually produce good behavior from women’s partners. In testing these three hypotheses, Handwerker looks
to populations of the West Indian islands, specifically Antigua and Handwerker measured the levels of violence on a scale of 0 to 24 and affection on a scale of 0 to 32, based on behavior, such as “slap or hit you to hurt or punish” or “talked with you and respected what you said.” He also measured poverty, social class and status differences between women and their partners, and women’s power relative to that of men. Handwerker found that the likeliness of an affectionate relationship is low for women with violent partners, and that the likeliness of a violent relationship is low for women in affectionate relationships. He also found that threat, stress or frustration did not explain violence, nor did it explain levels of affection. In his analysis of the results and the three hypotheses, he found that women in relationships with “good” men in the context of power equalities had the least risk of experiencing violence, but not, Handwerker notes, a 0 percent chance. Any power inequalities that are added to such a relationship increase a woman’s risk of violence. Women whose partners are “bad” or rotten men have an increased risk of violence, and those with rotten men and power inequalities within the relationship have to highest chance of experiencing a violent relationship. Thus, Handwerker says, increasing power equalities produces more affection, even from violent men, and increasing inequalities results in a greater chance for a violent relationship, even from affectionate partners. Handwerker effectively finds the social relationships hypothesis to be the most relevant. Finally, Handwerker suggests solutions to the problem and tragedy of domestic violence against women based on his findings. For example, we should rid ourselves of the assumption that violence is the result of stress, and we should accept and use the idea that violence is related to neurotransmitter levels and neurological conditions, but not genetics. CLARITY: 4
Harthorn, Barbara
Herr. In this rather wordy and cryptic article, Barbara Herr Harthorn attempts
to address the possible modes of intervention in researching the health
and medical concerns of California farmworkers,
and the problems associated with each type of intervention. The article
uses data from a 1995-97 study of 32 workers from Harthorn begins by defining the act of intervention in relation to the work of a medical anthropologist as “intervening between a cause and a hypothesized effect or a known effect and a hypothesized cause.” She states the purpose of such research as being to isolate causes and enhance knowledge about the process, and the main problem of such research in its general disregard for the potential social changes produced. She admits that this kind of thinking is antithetical to the way anthropologists were used to thinking about research. She continues by presenting the three most prevalent health issues
for farm workers in She cites the high rates of tuberculosis among ethnic minorities and children due to poverty, poor nutrition and living conditions, and the widespread lack of knowledge of the disease and its treatment among the farm working community specifically. She identifies TB as a likely site for intervention as it poses a recognized threat to the general population and is treatable if pursued. The second health issue, chemical exposure due to pesticide use in agriculture has a more far-reaching impact on not only the workers, but the consumers of agricultural goods as well, and thus presents itself as an attractive subject of intervention research. Problems include the relative lack of awareness of specific risks from exposure, grower opposition to the research, and political resistance to intervention within agriculture. Finally, maternal and child health issues seem to not be as receptive to intervention studies as the others, due to institutional racism in California and the general lack of concern among the workers themselves. Harthorn concludes by laying out several
levels of intervention that can be implemented at global, state, local,
or corporate levels. Such scales include the intervention geared toward
individual workers for the short term, community-based self-education
programs through development organizations, and at the highest level
the entire agricultural industry effecting long-term conditions and
policies. Finally, she addresses the road-blocks to such ventures such
as lack of incentive to change by growers, lack of access to medical,
and labor resources within farm worker communities and the expendability
of the farm worker due to a nearly endless supply of cheap labor from CLARITY: 3
Johnson, G. David, Cecelia Formichella,
J. Stephen Thomas, Dulal Bhaumik,
Frank Verlion Degruy,
III, and Catherine A. Riordan. Stress and Distress among This article focuses on the shrimp fishing industry in the The authors hypothesize that increased job stressor exposure, decreased job satisfaction, and a decreased sense of mastery will correlate with higher occurrences of diagnosable psychological distress. This hypothesis fits with the social stress model, in which environmental stressors are seen as causes of psychological distress and physical illness. To test this hypothesis, the authors selected 34 ports based on total shrimp landings between 1991 and 1993. At each selected port, shrimp boat captains were selected for study using the “dockside intercept technique,” in which the person is approached while returning to shore from a fishing trip. A total of 567 captains were interviewed for the study, composed of off-shore and inshore fisherman. The desired measurements were obtained by direct survey of the selected fishermen. Roughly 14 questions were asked of each participant; answers were provided in the form of a rating on a scale of one to five, or with a short answer. The authors then proceeded with bivariate statistical analyses of the collected data to determine the correlation between measured variables. The relationships between these variables were then compared to two control groups. One control group was a national study of American adults, and one was a study of 1000 primary care patients. The results of the study correlated with the hypothesis. The evidence reported that as the measured environmental stressors increased in intensity, and as feelings of control over one’s life decreased, incidences of measurable psychological distress increased. The findings state that these fishermen experienced psychological disorders at twice the rate of the general male population. This increase is most likely seen in mood and anxiety disorders rather than alcohol abuse. Johnson et al. infer that this is possibly a result of the fishermen surveyed, and that alcohol problems would be higher in fishermen currently on land and those who had left the industry. The authors conclude that the fishermen at highest risk for developing a disorder are those with a decreased sense of mastery, and that current regulatory and economic pressures are likely sources of a decreased sense of mastery. CLARITY: 4
Kendall, Carl. The Role of Formal Qualitative Research in
Negotiating Community Acceptance: The Case of Dengue Control in In this article, the author discusses a program aimed at controlling
mosquitoes, especially those carrying the dengue bacteria, in the city
of This combination of local and medical knowledge about insects and illness led to a demonstrable drop in insect densities, without anything more than surveys and public awareness efforts. It is the only such project to have shown success using “only words”. The author does note, however, that this success was not replicated in following years, although the locals had gotten the message. He suggests problems with the organization and leadership within the program itself as factors that may have decreased its effectiveness. The author also places this program in the larger context of medical
anthropology. One criticism of medical anthropology is that much of
it had been done without allowing a lot of time for research. Instead,
research efforts were aimed at quickly identifying local beliefs about
illness and then correcting them with education based on modern medical
knowledge. This approach assumes that beliefs can be separated from
their cultural context, without affecting the culture in general. This
is another major criticism of the author and many of his colleagues.
Instead, He also argues that applied anthropology in general is not an oxymoron. In other words, he believes that it is possible to conduct ethnographic research with a specific interventionist agenda, and that this is not bad science. This follows from the idea that the ethnographer is not so much a recorder of culture as a negotiator or interpreter of it, and thus that intervention is not always wrong, as in the case of controlling disease. In general, this article is a well-written example of how anthropology can provide immediate and practical improvements in the lives of others. CLARITY: 4
Kruse, Jack; Klein, David; Braund, Steve; Moorehead, Lisa; and Simeone, Bill. Co-management of Natural Resources: A Comparison of Two Caribou Management Systems. Human Organization, 1998 Vol. 57(4): 447-459. This article addresses the effects of caribou management systems on
the herd fluctuations of North American caribou. The authors compare
two such systems in The authors’ comparison indicates that under a joint management board, government managers are more sensitive and responsive to user concerns, but that direct user involvement in a joint management board does not increase the likelihood that village-level users will cooperate with management actions. The study compares the State of Alaska’s system for the Western Arctic Caribou Herd to the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board in Canada, the latter being an example of a user-participatory co-management system. The authors compare management effectiveness between the two by assessing knowledge of the existence of the management system, agreement on acceptability of herd monitoring practices, shared belief and perceptions on caribou population changes, perceptions of communication between caribou users and the management boards, and expectations for cooperation of users with management decisions. They conducted a census of government managers and surveyed approximately 200 traditional caribou users in both locations. The article includes 15 graphs displaying manager and user responses as well as a number of citations from formal interviews. In support of the authors’ basic argument, these graphs and personal interviews demonstrate that considerably more Canadian users knew of the existence of the management system, knew that traditional users were on the board, and felt that the board would consult users before setting harvest quotas. In support of the second part of the authors’ assertion, results indicate that a higher proportion of the Alaskan traditional users, not users of the Canadian joint management board, expect that they would cooperate with management in terms of hunting restrictions or other herd-stabilizing actions. CLARITY: 5
Lackey, Jill Florence, and D. Paul Moberg. Understanding the Onset of Intercourse among Urban American Adolescents: A Cultural Process Framework Using Qualitative and Quantitative Data. Human Organization Winter, 1998. Vol. 57 (4): 491-501. The main idea addressed in this paper is the great impact that culture has on teen sexuality and decision-making. More specifically, the authors investigate the design and effectiveness of programs to educate and positively influence teens about sexual activity and the decisions involved. It is pointed out that often is the case where just one aspect of the culture is addressed when such programs are designed and implemented, but that the programs would actually be much more effective if more aspects of culture are incorporated thus using a more “holistic” approach. The argument is supported by both numerical data obtained using surveys and testimonials obtained during focus groups. Numerical data is presented in tabular form, and the testimonials are presented using quotes from the focus group conversations. Much time is spent describing the method of the study in great detail that does present logical and legitimate support of the thesis. The authors explain that culture is continually changing, and one
result of these changes is subcultures. They go on to say that these
subcultures are often deviants of the norms of the culture and are
due to the lack of opportunity afforded the individuals involved. The
study was conducted in CLARITY: 4
Lovell, Anne M. and Cohn, Sandra. The Elaboration of “Choice” in a Program for Homeless Persons Labeled Psychiatrically Disabled. Human Organization, 1998 Vol.57(1):8-21 This article examined a program, run in The program center was set up to provide a location the participants could come for food, shelter, clothing, and counseling. This environment was one with “no strings attached”, the participants could come and go as they pleased, utilizing the center’s resources as they saw fit. In most shelter programs there is an underlying cause the shelter is trying to force onto the participants, either expecting something in return, or pushing a religious message. This new center opted to be different, in the hopes that the lack of a “message”, and allowing the participants to make choices for themselves would lead to an increased commitment to the various counseling and treatment programs the center had to offer. This program also sought to secure apartments for the participants and jobs so the participants could help defer living expenses. One item the program overlooked was the fact that in addition to mental illness many of the participants were also abusers of drugs and alcohol. When given the opportunity, the lure of getting high was often too great for the participants, and the apartments turned into drug-dens and locations where drug transactions could take place. In some instances, the participants sold their furniture, and even robbed the treatment center to get money for their illicit activities. The consequences of unlimited choice proved too great to ignore. In time the center had to impose many rules on the participants for their own and the participant’s safety. The program was trying to instill a feeling of self-reliance upon the participants, this worked for a time, until the total lack of oversight led to a lack of social obligation to mainstream society by the participants. In the end the center had to respond by limiting choice to preserve society’s moral code. CLARITY: 3
Lovell, Anne M., and Cohn, Sandra. The Elaboration of "Choice" in a Program for Homeless Persons Labeled Psychiatrically Disabled. Applied Anthropology:Problems of Human Organization 1998 Vol.57(1):8 18. In this article Lovell and Cohn discuss
the consequences and the degree to which "choice" (empowerment) is instilled into a new experimental
rehabilitation program for the psychiatrically disabled homeless. The
individuals are more involved with their program, especially in the
need for independent housing. They begin by stating that more traditional
rehabilitation programs for the homeless involved a "medical model" where
the individual afflicted is handed over to an expert with a powerful
authority. The new experimental treatment hands over a portion of the
authority to the individual and is centered on the idea of "client
choice." The goal of this experiment was to stress the ability
of persons with mental illness to learn new skills and behaviors, to
develop their potential, and to make decisions regarding their own
lives. After having done ethnographic fieldwork at a center in CLARITY: 3.5
Lyon-Callo, Vincent. Constraining Responses to Homelessness: An Ethnographic Exploration of the Impact of Funding Concerns on Resistance. Human Organization Spring 1998 Vol.57(1):1-7. Homelessness is a growing problem in the CLARITY: 4
Lyon-Callo, Vincent. Constraining Responses to Homelessness: An Ethnographic Exploration of the Impact of Funding concerns on Resistance Human Organization , 1998 Vol.57(1):1-7. This article is about the issue of homelessness in the The author did his research in homeless shelters in This article details the group’s efforts to change the structure of the shelter system and the problems that they faced in there attempt. It give a good analysis of the reasons behind certain barriers and truly makes the reader think about one’s own biases and preconceived notions about homelessness and how it should be dealt with. CLARITY: 4
Manderson, Lenore, Wilson, Ruth P. Negotiating with Communities: The Politics and Ethics of Research. Human Organization, 1998. Vol.57(2):215-216. In this short article, Manderson and Wilson discuss the ethics of the work conducted by anthropological scientists and local communities. In the process of doing field research, anthropologists must be sensitive to different moral and political dilemmas that surface at all levels. Each situation is a unique case, changing within different groups of people as well as over time. These relationships may even require renegotiation as community members seek to benefit from the fieldwork being conducted on their culture. Manderson and Wilson then summarize articles
on the relationships between anthropologists and research communities
presented originally at the Society for Applied Anthropology annual
meeting. These articles provide examples of how individual researchers
responded to the cases they encountered. Kendall et al. discussed how
dengue control in The articles reviewed here all support the view that ideologies in research must be sensitive to the politics, government policies, communities, and institutions in which the anthropologist works. Through an understanding of heightened ethical guidelines, applied anthropologists can be more sensitive to the needs of those they are studying. Manderson and Wilson clearly stress this viewpoint throughout their summaries, and clearly believe in this creed. CLARITY: 5
Manderson, Lenore, Kelaher, Margaret, Williams, Gail, Shannon, Cindy. The Politics of Community: Negotiation and Consultation in Research on Women’s Health. Human Organization 1998 Vol.57(2):222-229. This article describes the process that
the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health followed
as it began its initial stage of research. The researchers began
by defining the groups of women
who would likely be underrepresented in a large study and then decided
to target these groups with community-involved research. The two main
groups chosen were Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders and non-English
speaking communities of immigrant women from the After choosing these target groups of study, they began a difficult process of consultation and recruitment of women willing to participate in these groups. The difficulties that they encountered during consultation are explained in detail in the article. Research on the Aborigines has a history of not benefiting the community in any way. Therefore, these people are reluctant to let researchers work within their groups if they do not see an immediate benefit. Many examples are given in the article about the long process of consultation with these groups and the difficulty they had in convincing them that they would benefit from such encounters. With the Filipino women, consultations were straightforward because the researchers had a stronger base with leaders in this community. The process involved community discussions, focus groups, and meetings that provided these women with the opportunity to contribute ideas that they felt were important to consider in this study. Overall, the article describes the difficulties encountered in preparing to do research beginning with ethical issues that come up because of bad histories of research with groups, then moving on to discuss issues of the definition of community. Finally, the consultation process itself is explained and all of the difficulties encountered with these communities in obtaining their consent are put forth in detail. The examples clearly show the reader how difficult this process is, and how each community reacts to it differently. The authors discuss their research process with insight into the difficulties they encountered and with great sensitivity to the people with which they were working. They bring to light many issues that all researchers should keep in mind when approaching a community for study such as considering the benefits for the community itself, and working with people who are in full consent of the project. CLARITY: 4
McCay, Bonnie and Jentoft, Svein. Market or Community Failure? Critical Perspectives on Common Property Research. Human Organization, 1998 Vol. 57:21-27. The article addresses capitalism and the problems associated with its failures as an economic system. The methods used to explore the failures of capitalisms are viewed from the prospective of liberal economics. Two main downfalls of capitalism, held by many social scientists are discussed as well as the criticisms each receives, and the authors offer what they believe to be a better way of viewing the behavior that lead to capitalism’s downfall. Bonnie McCay and Svein Jentoft begin their article by stating that the behavior of the community is responsible for the failure of communism and is also attributed to many social and environmental problems. The “Tragedy of the Commons” is the first and foremost critic of communism. This idea holds that the community is made up of and behaves as individuals. It entails citizens being rewarded for acting altruistically and for the good of the group, but they also get rewarded for acting opportunistically and exhibiting free riding behavior. This critique points to common property, or the lack of private property as a main culprit. The second critique is at the opposite end of the spectrum. This is the “thin” argument and it takes the standpoint of anti-reductionism. It entails that the community works as an integrated whole, and this group is fundamentally moral. The authors proceed by going more in-depth about what it means to be acting as an individual and the consequences of such actions. McCay and Jentoft begin their argument for a different view of the downfall of communism by explaining the fundamental flaws in the “Tragedy of the Commons” and the “thin” anti-reductionist arguments. They argue that both criticisms are too abstract and generalized to each extreme. For example, the “tragedy of the Commons” requires a simple, small-scale self-governed populace in order to be successful. If the community grows too large, the system will be taken advantage of and people will act in their own interests. Also, the definition of common property has changed from having free use of common property to one of not having any property, and being unable to exclude others from “government or state owned property.“ The point is made that government or state steps in in an effort to keep the individual from acting self-opportunistically. The “Thi n” argument is problematic because it generalizes and presumes interactions will be based on rational action and the importance of culture and community, this narrows the motivation of individuals. McCay and Jentoft suggest a mid-range theory called “thick” which entails a more ethnographic and complex view on human end environmental relations. The authors bring into discussion the concept of embeddedness, which is how community and culture interact and are contained within economics and vice versa. In the “thick” approach, the importance of both individual and community are realized, but does not attribute either as completely embedded within economics or social context. The authors conclude with the notion that in order to understand the economic failure of capitalism, the factors behind community and government behavior, as well as how they interact are necessary and deserve more study. CLARITY: 3
McCay, Bonnie J., Svein Jentoft. Market or Community Failure? Critical Perspectives on Common Property Research. Human Organization 1998 Vol. 57(1): 21-29. Analyzing the “tragedy of the commons”, the failure of workers in capitalist markets, McCay and Jentoft discuss the collapse of markets from an ethnographic perspective by considering the community surrounding such markets. They continue the discussion of failed capitalist markets started by William Foster Lloyd and Garrett Hardin. First, McCay and Jentoft define what is meant by “common property”. The community’s relationship to such “common property” and how they are to manage it becomes part of the social definition of “common property”. Individual responsibilities, ethics, and sense of competition do not combine just as a sum of individuals, but rather as the community which then affects each individual. McCay and Jentoft argue that comparisons between successful and unsuccessful attempts of community property management are a “thin” way to analyze the problem, meaning theories used to differentiate the two are generalized and overanalyzed. Instead, they propose a “thick” way to analyze the idea of “tragedy of the commons”. They question the use of theory and emphasize the importance of the interaction between humans and the environment, culture, and history. They emphasize the understanding of embeddedness. Economies are embedded within greater social systems that can shape the economy in different ways. Social interactions, symbols, values, and individual roles affect the way an economy functions. Thus, McCay and Jentoft argue that “community failure”, meaning the breakdown of social bonds and responsibility towards resources, causes “market failure”. Then, the authors question why some communities succeed and others do not. Governmental and state intervention is considered as a way failure can either be prevented or caused. External and global markets affect local markets as well. In this article, McCay and Jentoft examine local markets from a more global and external perspective. CLARITY: 3
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