The Routledge Handbook of Applied Anthropology
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 22. September 2026
Book
Hardback
702 pages
978-1-032-80349-4 (ISBN)
Description
The Routledge Handbook of Applied Anthropology provides a comprehensive overview of applied anthropology, offering a global portrait of key problem sets, methods, and materials that anthropologists use when working in business, government, and non-governmental organizational settings.
Bringing together leading scholars and practitioners from across the globe, this innovative Handbook maps the full breadth of applied anthropology - its diverse conceptualizations, its deep roots in community engagement, and its vital role in addressing today's most urgent challenges. Spanning places from Peru and Morocco to China, Australia, and North America, the Handbook highlights how anthropologists everywhere blend theory and practice to confront climate disruption, health inequities, cultural loss, forced migration, technological transformation, and more. It offers a rare global, decolonial perspective, dismantling the outdated divide between "academic" and "applied" work, and centers collaboration, reciprocity, and social impact.
This is a landmark volume that redefines what it means to put anthropology to work in a rapidly changing world. Designed for students, educators, practitioners, and organizational partners, the handbook illuminates wide-ranging career pathways in nonprofits, business, government, and community-based contexts. It prepares the next generation for meaningful futures in a world where anthropological insight is urgently needed.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
Bringing together leading scholars and practitioners from across the globe, this innovative Handbook maps the full breadth of applied anthropology - its diverse conceptualizations, its deep roots in community engagement, and its vital role in addressing today's most urgent challenges. Spanning places from Peru and Morocco to China, Australia, and North America, the Handbook highlights how anthropologists everywhere blend theory and practice to confront climate disruption, health inequities, cultural loss, forced migration, technological transformation, and more. It offers a rare global, decolonial perspective, dismantling the outdated divide between "academic" and "applied" work, and centers collaboration, reciprocity, and social impact.
This is a landmark volume that redefines what it means to put anthropology to work in a rapidly changing world. Designed for students, educators, practitioners, and organizational partners, the handbook illuminates wide-ranging career pathways in nonprofits, business, government, and community-based contexts. It prepares the next generation for meaningful futures in a world where anthropological insight is urgently needed.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
Reviews / Votes
"This is a much needed and welcome initiative for all those interested in understanding anthropologists' efforts to put their research and knowledge at the service of different communities. It will undoubtedly become a classic."Gustavo Lins Ribeiro, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana (Lerma-Mexico), Mexico
"This handbook provides a brilliant, practical guide to the answers than anthropology can offer in this respect, in sectors ranging from medicine to environmental policies to politics and more. A must-read for anyone seeking a broader lens that can make sense of the world."
Gillian Tett, Kings College, Cambridge University, UK
"This landmark volume addresses the many ways that action-oriented anthropological efforts foster progressive social change around the globe. With dozens of case studies on pressing issues including health disparities, environmental justice, cultural preservation, and human rights, this book is essential reading for all those interested in creating a better world."
Marcia C. Inhorn, Yale University, USA
"This handbook is a timely text for those seeking to explore and apply anthropological insights and strategies to understanding and shaping the world of work in this complex world. The contributors use contemporary lenses to spotlight the discipline's efficacy in bringing positive change to any sector."
Mwenda Ntarangwi, Practicing Anthropologist, Kenya
Anthropology still has much to offer in understanding complex, real-world issues. I hope this volume inspires students and colleagues alike to take a fresh look at the types of contributions they might make across diverse geographical, organizational and professional contexts."
John Sherry, Former Director of Social Science Research, Intel Corporation
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Postgraduate, Professional Practice & Development, Professional Reference, and Undergraduate Advanced
Illustrations
4 s/w Tabellen, 8 s/w Zeichnungen, 24 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder, 32 s/w Abbildungen
4 Tables, black and white; 8 Line drawings, black and white; 24 Halftones, black and white; 32 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 178 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-032-80349-4 (9781032803494)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Christina Wasson is Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Texas, USA.
Edward B. Liebow is recently retired Executive Director of the American Anthropological Association, USA.
Karine L. Narahara is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Texas, USA.
Hsain Ilahiane is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Arizona, USA.
Alaka Wali is curator emerita of North American Anthropology in the Negaunee Integrative Research Center at the Field Museum, USA.
Edward B. Liebow is recently retired Executive Director of the American Anthropological Association, USA.
Karine L. Narahara is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Texas, USA.
Hsain Ilahiane is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Arizona, USA.
Alaka Wali is curator emerita of North American Anthropology in the Negaunee Integrative Research Center at the Field Museum, USA.
Content
Introduction: Mapping the Terrain of Applied Anthropology SECTION 1: WHAT IS APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY? 1.1. A Historical Examination of Theory and Practice Relationships in Anthropology 1.2. The Applied Tower of Babel: English-Language Terms and Their Contexts of Use 1.3. The Applied Research Process SECTION 2: NATIONAL TRADITIONS 2.1. Indigenous Rights and Applied Anthropology in Australia: A Distinctive Trajectory 2.2. Commitment to the Fate of Peoples: A Brief Overview of Variants of "Applied" Anthropology in Brazil 2.3. The Practice of Applied Anthropology in China 2.4. Politicians, Intellectuals, and Anthropologists: The Conceptualization and Implementation of Applied Anthropology in Iran 2.5. The Journey of Applied Anthropology in Israel: Foundations, Growth, and Future Paths 2.6. "Tella ur Telli:" Applied Anthropology in Morocco: A Diachronic Overview 2.7. Beginnings and Transformations of Peruvian Applied Anthropology 2.8. A Historical Overview of Applied Anthropology in the United States SECTION 3: DOMAINS OF APPLICATION 3.1. Applied Anthropology in Global Health 3.2. Co-Design for Equitable Engagement in Global Health 3.3. Language Reclamation as Applied Language Work 3.4. Applied Anthropology in Museum Practice 3.5. An Anthropologist in the Field of Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding: Global and Local Scales Approaching Practice 3.6. Cultural Resource Management 3.7. Discipline in Contradiction: Improving Anthropological Practices in Climate Change Research through Participatory Processes and Collaborative Methodologies 3.8. Applying Anthropology for Environmental Justice 3.9. Putting the People in the Public Space: Forced Roma Resettlement in Belgrade as a Case of Social Vulnerability and Adaptive Resilience 3.10. Design Anthropology and Healthcare Innovation in the Danish Public Sector 3.11. Practice Without a Blueprint: Notes from Design Anthropology in Industry 3.12. Macro and Micro Politics in Design Anthropology in Brazil: Frontiers and Tensions in Contexts of Vulnerability 3.13. Applying Anthropological Techniques to Market Research with the Latin American Diaspora, Indigenous Peoples, and Afro-Latine Constituents Across Borders 3.14. At the Interface of Practice and Policy: The Role of Educational Applied Anthropology in Strengthening K-12 Education 3.15. Approaches to Community Education: An Applied Anthropology Perspective 3.16. Putting People First in Bilateral and Multilateral Development: Wins and Losses for Anthropologists SECTION 4: PRINCIPLES AND PROCESSES OF APPLIED WORK 4.1. Applications in the Private Sector: Consultative and In-House Anthropology 4.2. Principles and Processes of Applied Work in the Nonprofit Sector 4.3. Anthropology in the Public Sector: A Career in the US Department of State SECTION 5: FUTURES OF APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY 5.1. Decolonization in Applied Anthropology: Challenges and Opportunities 5.2. AI Anthropology: The Future of Applied Anthropological Practice 5.3. Feeding the Common Good: How Anthropology Can Influence the Future of Food SECTION 6: TRAINING STUDENTS IN APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY 6.1. Training Students in Applied Anthropology: Educating (Not Schooling) Undergraduates 6.2. Training Graduate Students: Experiences from the United States and Argentina 6.3. Student Perspectives on Training Applied Anthropologists 6.4. Tending the Flame: Continuing Education and Microcredentials for Applied Anthropology 6.5. Applying Anthropology After Graduation: A Short Guide 6.6. Preparing for a Career in the World of Knowledge Work Conclusion: Moving Beyond Critique to Problem-Solving