Anthropology at War

[f4f3]

Mostly for anthrokeight :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00jvdh8/Anthropology_at_War/

And in case the link doesn't work, some program info which might help find, um, another source for the material:

Mark Whitaker reports from Washington DC on the recent policy of the United States army to embed anthropologists and other social scientists with combat brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The hope is that they will teach the military to behave in more 'culturally appropriate' ways and reduce the need for lethal force. However, three young academics have died during the 18 months that the policy has been operation, and the American Anthropological Association has condemned the initiative as unethical.

A Square Dog production for BBC Radio 4.

Broadcast on:

BBC Radio 4, 11:00am Friday 24th April 2009

Duration:

30 minutes

Available until:

11:32am Friday 1st May 2009

Comments

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

I haz .mp3 if you need it.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

I don't, but someone else might...

[happybat.livejournal.com]

I found that really interesting. Thank you for posting.

[anthrokeight.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the links and information. I haven't had time to listen to it, but will look forward to it somewhere in the pile of grading I have to do this week!

That mp3 and other stuff

[jmcl63.livejournal.com]

I've been hearing about this, and would like the mp3 please.

The problem with this whole idea is that American military doctrine has long been based on the maximum application of firepower at the least possible risk to its men; a.k.a. just bomb them into the ground/stone age, etc. It's all down to US industrial supremacy in the end. That model of operations cannot easily be adapted to imperial counter-insurgency, IMO. ;)