6 thoughts on “AAA Open Thread”

1. May I once again beg for the AAA to take action to address the glaring error in the Big Book of Jobs which says anthropology is not a natural science?

   There is a wide-spread and deep need expressed by members of indigenous and other communities for anthropological expertise and involvement. In the US, anthropology is not classified as a natural science. Consequently, we are prohibited from being hired to work on issues of natural resources, environmental biogeochemistry and health, epidemiology, community development, public health, environmental change and human adaptation, sustainable agriculture, sustainable hunting and foraging in the Arctic, etc.

   This requires two actions by the association–
   1) state publicly that biological anthropology and some archaeological anthropology are natural sciences (and have been for over a century) The letter submitted by Dr Dena Dincauze in 1990 is an excellent statement as is even the Kroeber statement (1954) buried deep within the AAA website.

   2) formally request the US Department of Commerce to update their classification in “Big Book of Jobs” (Standard of Occupational Classification and the OPM Federal Classification and Job Grading Systems)

   I am not the only anthropologist in the “real world” who would like to be able to eat while practicing.

2. I would think that a good number of sociocultural anthropologists and applied anthropologists might also consider themselves natural scientists of a sort. I am thinking of people working on environmental, health, and other similar issues from a scientific perspective. If this indeed has the practical implications mentioned by MP Bumstead, then various groups of sociocultural anthropologists should work on this issue.

3. @MP Bumstead.

   I’ve never heard of this issue before. Can you say more about it’s history? As a cultural anthropologist, I’d be more than happy to support the labeling of our work as scientific, both because I believe it is and because I’m puzzled that such a classification exists and somehow prevents people from getting work… say more?

4. I’m also puzzled by MP Bumsted’s complaint, since there are a large number of anthropologists working in federal government and on federal gov projects of exactly the sort that (s)he lists. Moreover, the OPM doesn’t seem to have a problem:

   From the OPM job classification handbook:

   0190 – General Anthropology Series

   This series covers all classes of positions the duties of which are to advise on, supervise or perform research or other professional and scientific work in the anthropological sciences except archeology. This work may be specialized in one or several of the branches of the scientific field that includes ethnology, physical anthropology, and scientific linguistics.

   That’s a lot of ‘science’.

   I used to belong to WAPA when I lived in the Washington area, and I don’t recall any mention of such a problem among the applied and practicing anthropologists working in the belly of the beast.

   More information, please….

5. There’s a reason there are separate archaeology and bioanthropology meetings.

   @ckelty: there are some relevant papers at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120184615/issue

6. Here are examples of the documentation. The state of New Mexico at one time refused to hire an anthropologist in the highway department as the public involvement coordinator (who works with communities and must deal with cross-cultural communication, organizational culture, use of space, land relationships, etc etc.) because the requirement was for a natural sciences degree. USD Agriculture states that an anthropology degree, even with an analytical chemistry post-doc and soils training does not meet minimum education requirements to work with communities (rural, ethnic) on resource conservation and development.

   The issue isn’t that jobs labelled “anthropology” don’t hire anthropologists but that jobs that work with communities (e.g., ecologists or planners or public health) will not or cannot hire anthropologists because these jobs require a natural sciences background.

   As a consequence, communities and organizations which could most use anthropological insight and experience, cannot benefit. For example, small scale and subsistence farming in American Samoa is advised by someone who has no knowledge of Polynesian cultures, kinship, and no previous community-experience. The 200 or so Alaska native Villages which must be relocated in the next 15 years due to erosion, have no one with a background in human sciences to help plan the relocation, design the new community, and analyze the positive and negative impacts.

   Documentation–
   1)
   “The social sciences include anthropology, economics, sociology, history, political science, geography, psychology, and demography. The biological sciences include botany, biology, entomology, ecology, forestry, and zoology. The physical sciences include chemistry, physics, astronomy, geology, and soil science. (state of Alaska)”

   2)
   To be basically qualified for this job, you must have:
   **College Transcripts are mandatory for positions in Biological Sciences. Failure to not provide transcripts with application package will make you ineligible. Basic Requirements: A. Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. OR B. Combination of education and experience–Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. AND At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service.
   GS-11 level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 level that demonstrates knowledge of a broad range of concepts including economic development, environmental enhancement, and social well-being sufficient to prepare, appraise, analyze, and evaluate resource plans to improve the quality of life for the area’s residents. GS-12 level: In addition to above, applicants must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level that demonstrates knowledge and skill sufficient to serve as a coordinator of a resource conservation and development council formed to conserve, develop, and utilize complex natural resources and experience in writing grant proposals. Credit will be given for appropriate qualifying unpaid experience or volunteer work such as community, cultural, social service, and professional association activities on the same basis as for unpaid experience. To receive proper credit for unpaid experience or volunteer work, fully describe your responsibilities and show the actual time (years, months, and hours per week) spent in such activities. (USDA NRCS)

   3)
   Applicants must have at least one year of specialized work experience in natural resource conservation equivalent to the GS-11 level in the federal service. This experience consists of identifying and alleviating problems related to economic development, the natural environmental and rural development; communicating effectively both orally and in writing; organizing and coordinating projects including the selling and marketing of new concepts and recruiting of others to assist with planning, financing, and implementation of these projects; and developing local leadership to successfully coordinate multiple projects simultaneously.
   Applicants must have a degree from an accredited college or university in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry or a related discipline.
   OR
   Applicants must have the courses equivalent to a major from an accredited college or university, in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or a related discipline, and appropriate experience or additional education that will equal a four year degree (USDA NRCS)

   4)
   Candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements for the GS-401 series as set forth in the Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions. Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the work of the position to be filled or combination of education and experience. Qualifying Specialized Experience for GS-12: One year of professional work experience equivalent to the grade 11 level in the Federal service. Applicants should have a strong background in working with units of government to enhance the environmental qualities of an area, improve the general level of economic activity, and improve the standard of living of the area’s residents. The applicant should have planning experience that includes project planning and skill to incorporate public participation into projects. The applicant should have the ability to work with a diverse group of individuals, groups, organizations, and other stakeholders on projects or concerns within their community.
   Qualifying Specialized Experience for GS-11: One year of professional work experience equivalent to the grade 9 level in the Federal service. Applicants should have a strong background in working with units of government to enhance the environmental qualities of an area, improve the general level of economic activity, and improve the standard of living of the area’s residents. The applicant should have planning experience that includes project planning and skill to incorporate public participation into projects. The applicant should have the ability to work with a diverse group of individuals, groups, organizations, and other stakeholders on projects or concerns within their community. (USDA again)

   5)
   Individual Occupational Requirements for General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series, GS-401
   The text below is extracted verbatim from Section IV-B of the Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions (p.IV-B-55), but contains minor edits to conform to web-page requirements.
   Basic Requirements: Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. (US-OPM)

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