Anthropology and the Engaged Observer. A Review of (eds.) V. Sanford & A. Angel-Ajani's <em>Engaged Observer: Anthropology, Advocacy, and Activism</em> (New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 2006)

Abstract

Engaged Observer focuses on the discipline of anthropology, and I am not an anthropologist. Yet the book spoke to me in many ways, and I learned greatly from reading it. As in many edited volumes, the book’s strengths lie in the diversity of its contributions. Most are thoughtful, thought-provoking pieces of scholarship that directly explore questions raised in the foreword and introduction: What is the role of advocacy in research? To whom do the anthropologist’s primary commitments lie? What is the role of truth, and justice, and power, in scholarly work? Drawing on research conducted around the globe among settings where human rights are endemically violated, the contributions to this volume are powerful examples of compassionate scholarship by leading anthropologists.