The Role of Anthropology in Grassroots Organizing: A Campaign in Nebraska

Abstract

The anthropological perspective, defined in the broadest sense, provides both a theoretical basis for understanding human society and affords insights into the human condition. These are useful to any number of professions. As a public interest advocate with almost two decades of experience organizing around social justice and environmental issues, I am interested in the discipline not as a researcher, applied or otherwise, but as a tool for understanding and promoting progressive social change through grassroots organizing. My pursuit of a master's degree in applied anthropology, rather than the more conventional degree in public policy chosen by many advocates, was spurred by a desire to understand better how human culture is organized and reproduced. I wanted to glean a deeper understanding of the cultural preconditions for progressive movements that ultimately cause social change. To this end, over the past two years, I have integrated my professional work experiences with the anthropological perspective garnered from my graduate studies. The best example of this convergence is a statewide legislative campaign that I spearheaded in Nebraska. By wearing my "anthropological lenses" I have been able to view organizing from a new vantage point and to design more effectively a majority strategy for mobilizing citizens around environmental issues. The Nebraska campaign that I will discuss in this article is a compelling example of why anthropology should be viewed as a discipline that can provide an intellectual bedrock for other professions. By redefining and expanding the role for anthropology outside academia, the discipline is strengthened and its relevancy assured. This essay is a reflection on how anthropology has enriched and changed my work as an organizer and is a testimonial to its relevancy in our modern world.