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Applied Anthropology Strengths

Decent Essays

Applied Anthropology provides a unique set of skills and capabilities that strengthen their application to the position of QRS. This setting allows applied anthropologist to express their strengths as a consultant, ensuring that the perspective of the other and proper research methods are addressed. The most evident strength of applied anthropology that would be useful in the context of a QRS is their expertise on qualitative and mixed research methods. Throughout the job posting there is a call for expertise in both qualitative and mixed methods research. It is widely known that through the discipline, anthropologist gain a variety of expertise in the wide ranges of qualitative tools and methods, including fieldwork, participant observation, …show more content…

The title for the position itself expresses the need for a focus on qualitative methods, which as stated above has been greatly crafted through the combination of tools and methods learned in the discipline. The section, Primary Purpose, calls even further for a need of expertise in qualitative and mixed method research. Regarding quantitative methods, anthropologists would likely develop these skills, perhaps not to a similar level of expertise as those of qualitative methods. However, by using a mix of both qualitative and quantitative methods it would not be a major weakness in this context as expertise in qualitative methods can support those in quantitative. As the primary purpose, it is clear that this strength of anthropology is the most fundamental within this context. It is with this skill that they would find a great deal of success, if they are able to surpass the challenge of communication and interpersonal connection as will be discussed …show more content…

As briefly stated above in order for the strength of qualitative methods to be fully utilized in this context it has to be communicated and presented in a way that is understood and useful. The position for the QRS position shows that there is a great need for interdisciplinary capabilities in team and collaborative settings and this is an area in which applied anthropologists succeed. They possess a great strength in navigating and understanding different, backgrounds, issues and values (Béguet, 2016) and in turn the discipline has grown to develop connection to a diverse array of sub disciplines and topics. This allows practitioners to develop skills in those areas and to strengthen their ability to draw from a diverse range of methods, tools and perspectives. This skill allows them to apply their expertise in a variety of contexts, including that of the QRS. Alexander Erwin acknowledges the ability of applied anthropologists to work in interdisciplinary teams and to synthesize their information through anthropological perspectives (Erwin, 2005). Despite this strength of working through diversity and synthesizing through the anthropological perspective, it continues to be faced with the challenge of communication and interpersonal skills that plague some

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