Some ethical issues arising from the simple reason that anthropologists have more power than the people they study. It has been argued that the discipline is a form of colonialism in which anthropologists gain power at the expense of the subjects. Accordingly, anthropologists gain power by exploiting the knowledge and artifacts of the people they investigate. These, in turn, they get nothing in return, and worse, take the loss on the transaction. In fact, the so-called British school was linked explicitly, in its origin, the colonial administration.
Other problems are also derived from an emphasis on cultural relativism in American anthropology and his longstanding opposition to the concept of race. The development of sociobiology in the late 1960's was challenged by cultural anthropologists like Marshall Sahlins , who argued that it was a reductionist position. Some authors, like John Randal Baker continued with the development of the biological concept of race until the 1970's, when the birth of genetics became central in this front.
Recently, Kevin B. McDonald Boasian criticized anthropology as part of the Jewish strategy to accelerate mass immigration and destroy the West (The Culture of Critique, 2002). While the genetic science has advanced as some anthropologists as Luca Cavalli-Sforza have updated the concept of race according to new findings (such as tracing ancient migrations through Mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome).
Finally, anthropology has a history of partnerships with government intelligence agencies and anti-war policy. Boas publicly rejected U.S. participation in World War , as well as the collaboration of some anthropologists with U.S. intelligence. In contrast, many contemporary anthropologists Boas were active participants in this war in many ways. Among them were dozens who served in the Office of Strategic Services and the Office of War Information. As an example, we have to Ruth Benedict, author of The Chrysanthemum and the Sword , a report on Japanese culture conducted at the request of the U.S. Army.
In 1950 American Anthropological Association (AAA ) provided specialized information to the CIA of its members, and many anthropologists participated in Operation Camelot during the Vietnam War .
On the other hand, many anthropologists were very active in the peace movement and voiced their opposition to the American Anthropological Association condemning the union involvement in covert military operations. Have also spoken out against the invasion of Iraq, although the matter has not been a professional consensus in the United States.
Professional associations of anthropologists criticize the government service of anthropology and can prevent them deontologies anthropologists secret lecture. The British Association of Social Anthropology has called certain scholarships ethically dangerous. For example, has condemned the CIA program Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program, which sponsors students of anthropology at U.S. universities in preparation for spying for the government. The Declaration of Professional Responsibility of the American Anthropological Association clearly states that " in connection with the host government or agreements must be accepted (...) no secret research, secret reports or reports of any kind ."
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