The Society for Applied Anthropology 2020 conference is to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 17-21, 2020. The theme is “Cultural Citizenship and Diversity in Complex Societies.”
I will be participating in a panel titled Teaching Race and Ethnicity, where I will be presenting a paper titled Consumer Genetics and Our Evolving Understanding of Race & Ethnicity. I will also be leading a roundtable titled Less Common Applications of Business Anthropology.
Teaching Race and Ethnicity Abstract
For over a century, anthropologists have examined the concepts of race and ethnicity, however, an understanding of how these categories are socially and culturally constructed is not always visible in the public purview or at institutional levels. In this arena, anthropology needs more visibility. In order to continue the educational goals of the RACE Project, this panel explores possibilities and new methods for teaching students and the general public about anthropological knowledge on race and ethnicity. The end goal is to impact personal and public understandings so that the anthropological perspective is applied to policy at various levels and to community building.
Consumer Genetics and Our Evolving Understanding of Race & Ethnicity Abstract
Given the rise of low-cost genetic testing, we are now able to truly see at an individual level the effects of movements such as colonialism and its predecessors. No longer are we reliant on malleable histories of the victors to call attention to global patterns of conquest, but instead, we can see how the ethnic makeup of individuals is, in fact, a diverse mixture that frequently extends beyond the modern nationalities that families pass down as part of their oral heritage. As such, we ask, does direct-to-consumer genetic (DTCG) testing have the ability to reshape notions of race & ethnicity positively, and if so, are there any ethical implications of using consumer genetic test results for educational purposes?
Less Common Applications of Business Anthropology Abstract
Historically when people discussed business anthropology, organizational and consumer research roles were at the forefront of the conversation. Today, that conversation has shifted to user experience (UX). While these are all critical applications of business anthropology, there are other roles that students and practitioners should consider. This panel explores less common applications of business anthropology through the work of five early-career business anthropologists working in digital product management, social impact storytelling, thought leadership insights, strategic operations management, and architecture. The panelists will share their experiences with applying the theories and methods of the discipline at the frontier of business anthropology.
