Anthropology: A Tool for Understanding or a Weapon for Harm?

Anthropology helped open our minds and better understand different cultures and verity of norms that vary from ordinary to extraordinary between the divers cultures. It helped the people to understand one another and build mutual respect to one another’s culture and belief. Anthropologists throughout the world are expanding the knowledge and help the interconnection of people worldwide by research and field observation to show the way people live and practice their believe. This has helped many to understand and cope with other on an economic and political level. Many acts of anthropologists have caused harm more than good, particularly to the subject being studied. Were the absence of work ethic and the neglecting of human rights made the practice damaging physically and emotionally on some cultures and people. An example for that is the Tuskegee experiment, were scientist experimented and research the effects of syphilis on human with and with out treatment. They had patients who they intentionally infected with the disease without their knowledge to carry out there research. After the death of many patients, families of the deceased filled a lawsuit against the scientists responsible for the lose of their loved ones. A

Their protection must be maintained at all costs and under any circumstances. The second rule is to be granted permission and approval by the authority or the leader of the culture or people subjected in the study. No fieldwork to be made unless there is a clear agreement so subjects are aware of such study and are prepared to cooperate. Another rule is to ensure anonymity or to protect the secrecy and privacy of the people or culture being studied, where they might be at risk of exposure if their practice or acts are controversial or even illegal in their culture or country’s