EDWARD J. HEIDICAN UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH ^*

De plus en plus souvent, les anthropologies interviennent à titre de médiateurs entre les
agencies gouvernmentales et les groupes locaux. En fait, dans diverses régions du monde,
ce mémes anthropologies jouent les rôles inédits de consultants, de défensuer et de
médiateurs. Leurs interventions annoncent l'émergence d' une nouvelle conception du
travail anthropologique, ce qui devra entraîner d'importants changements dans la disci-
pline tout entière. Pourtant, bien peu d'analyses récentes ont tenté d'étudier les réper-
cuccions, ou méme les avantages et les désavantages de cerre activité nouvelle des
anthropologies.

With increasing regularity anthropologist act as intermediaries in conflict situations,
particularly between government agencies and local groups. Anthropologists in diverse
areas of the world are enacting new roles as consultants, advocates, and mediators. These
activities indicate the emergence of a new conception of anthropological work, and there-
fore they have important implications for changes in the discipline as a whole. Yet,
remarkably little efforts has been expended in the literature to anlyze these implications, or
on the various advantages and disadvantages that these activities hold for anthropologists.

The role of anthropologists has undergone considerable change in recent years,
especially concerning their involvement in the social and political affairs of local
people. Anthropologists in diverse setting are going beyond the traditional role of
fieldworker, to advocate local objectives or act as intermediaries in conflict situa-
tions. These activities have important implications for changes in the discipline as a
whole because they indicate the emergence of a new conception of anthropological
work. As such, this paper will explore the implications of increasing social involve-
ment for anthropology. The main focus is on the problems encountered by
anthropologists in enacting of nontraditional role creates. Finally, the issue of social
involvement by anthropologist is discussed in the context of social and ideological
change, which serves toraise traditional problems of cultural relativism and
objectivity in anthropology.

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