Motion of the 32nd RBA: Diversify Information and Education about the Global Anthropologies of Foreign Researchers and Anthropology Students
On November 6, 2020 in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian Association of Anthropology passed the following motion:
Proponents:
Gustavo Lins Ribeiro (Universidade de Brasília), Carmen Rial (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina).
Addressed to: graduate programs in anthropology in Brazil, the World Council of Anthropological Associations, the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES), the Associação Latino Americana de Antropologia, the European Association of Social Anthropologists, the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research (New York), the Ford Foundation (Rio de Janeiro and New York), World Anthropologies – section of the American Anthropology Journal, Director of the Division of Social and Economic Sciences of the US National Science Foundation and its equivalents in the United Kingdom and France
Considering the unequal academic exchanges within the global academic system and in an effort to establish international exchanges that are more horizontal, fair and solidary, which can diversify and increase the global cross fertilization, the Associação Brasileira de Antropologia [Brazilian Association of Anthropology] has identified the following needs, and calls for all entities, agencies and agents involved in the pluralization of international anthropological knowledge to implement the following measures:
- To avoid cognitive extractivism:
- Only finance research projects to be conducted abroad that clearly demonstrate knowledge of work produced by local academics by citing literature in the local language about pertinent issues;
- Indicate the need for the involvement of foreign researchers with the local academic community where research is conducted by means of their presence in graduate courses in the country in question;
- Clearly instruct foreign researchers to consider local academics as partners and not as informants, and to cite them properly.
2. To increase the diversity of knowledge about global anthropologies:
- Offer courses that reflect the international diversity of contemporary anthropological production, by including an expanded range of authors and traditions and avoiding the automatic reproduction of hegemonic paradigms that are controlled by a limited number of academic centers;
- Journals should publish articles by anthropologists from a variety of countries;
- Pluralize the composition of editorial boards and their policies, considering the diversity of international perspectives, interests and styles.
On February 23, 2021, the Wenner-Gren Foundation issued the following letter of endorsement:
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Wenner-Gren Foundation, I’d like to express my whole-hearted endorsement of the Motion of the 32nd RBA: Diversify Information and Education about the Global Anthropologies of Foreign Researchers and Anthropology Students.
The measures that strike closest to the heart of our work are the following, which we quote directly from the Motion:
To avoid cognitive extractivism:
- Only finance research projects to be conducted abroad that clearly demonstrate knowledge of work produced by local academics by citing literature in the local language about pertinent issues;
- Indicate the need for the involvement of foreign researchers with the local academic community where research is conducted by means of their presence in graduate courses in the country in question;
- Clearly instruct foreign researchers to consider local academics as partners and not as informants, and to cite them properly.
Wenner-Gren is dedicated to broadening the conversation in anthropology to represent the full diversity of the field. As part of this effort, we will strive to implement these measures. We have taken steps to enhance the training our reviewers receive to ensure that they take these important commitments into account. We will prioritize funding for research meeting these criteria.
As the sponsor of SAPIENS and Current Anthropology, our work bears on these measures, as well:
- Journals should publish articles by anthropologists from a variety of countries;
- Pluralize the composition of editorial boards and their policies, considering the diversity of international perspectives, interests and styles.
The editors-in-chief of these publications have taken strides to accomplish these objectives – and are committed to doing even more in the years to come.
Thank you so much for this forceful statement.
Very sincerely,
Danilyn Rutherford
President, Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research
Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz (2009-2017)
Assistant and Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Chicago (1998-2009)