Speaking Truth to Power: Toward a Forensic Anthropology of Advocacy and Activism
Over the years, the field of forensic anthropology has become more diverse, bringing unique perspectives to a previously homogeneous field. This diversification has been accompanied by recognizing the need for advocacy and activism in an effort to support the communities we serve: marginalized commu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Humans |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9461/4/1/5 |
| _version_ | 1797240766582489088 |
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| author | Donovan M. Adams Juliette R. Bedard Samantha H. Blatt Eman Faisal Jesse R. Goliath Grace Gregory-Alcock Ariel Gruenthal-Rankin Patricia N. Morales Lorenzo Ashley C. Smith Sean D. Tallman Rylan Tegtmeyer Hawke Hannah Whitelaw |
| author_facet | Donovan M. Adams Juliette R. Bedard Samantha H. Blatt Eman Faisal Jesse R. Goliath Grace Gregory-Alcock Ariel Gruenthal-Rankin Patricia N. Morales Lorenzo Ashley C. Smith Sean D. Tallman Rylan Tegtmeyer Hawke Hannah Whitelaw |
| author_sort | Donovan M. Adams |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Over the years, the field of forensic anthropology has become more diverse, bringing unique perspectives to a previously homogeneous field. This diversification has been accompanied by recognizing the need for advocacy and activism in an effort to support the communities we serve: marginalized communities that are often overrepresented in the forensic population. As such, forensic anthropologists see the downstream effects of colonialism, white supremacy, inequitable policies, racism, poverty, homophobia, transphobia, gun violence, and misogyny. Some argue that advocacy and activism have no place in forensic anthropological praxis. The counterarguments for engaging in advocacy and activism uphold white, heterosexual, cisgender, and ableist privilege by arguing that perceived objectivity and unbiased perspectives are more important than personally biasing experiences and positionality that supposedly jeopardize the science and expert testimony. Advocacy and activism, however, are not new to the practice of anthropology. Whether through sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, or other areas of biological anthropology, activism and advocacy play an important role, using both the scientific method and community engagement. Using a North American approach, we detail the scope of the issues, address how advocacy and activism are perceived in the wider discipline of anthropology, and define ways in which advocacy and activism can be utilized more broadly in the areas of casework, research, and education. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:12:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a81901f9ed0b43b0af39c9a4806e86c9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-9461 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:12:39Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humans |
| spelling | doaj.art-a81901f9ed0b43b0af39c9a4806e86c92024-03-27T13:44:35ZengMDPI AGHumans2673-94612024-02-0141669010.3390/humans4010005Speaking Truth to Power: Toward a Forensic Anthropology of Advocacy and ActivismDonovan M. Adams0Juliette R. Bedard1Samantha H. Blatt2Eman Faisal3Jesse R. Goliath4Grace Gregory-Alcock5Ariel Gruenthal-Rankin6Patricia N. Morales Lorenzo7Ashley C. Smith8Sean D. Tallman9Rylan Tegtmeyer Hawke10Hannah Whitelaw11Department of Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USADepartment of Anthropology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, USADepartment of Anthropology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, USADepartment of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1B7, CanadaDepartment of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USADepartment of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1B7, CanadaDepartment of Anthropology, University of Hawai’i-West O’ahu, Kapolei, HI 96707, USADepartment of Anthropology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, USADepartment of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1B7, CanadaDepartment of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02218, USASNA International, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Oahu, HI 96853, USADepartment of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1B7, CanadaOver the years, the field of forensic anthropology has become more diverse, bringing unique perspectives to a previously homogeneous field. This diversification has been accompanied by recognizing the need for advocacy and activism in an effort to support the communities we serve: marginalized communities that are often overrepresented in the forensic population. As such, forensic anthropologists see the downstream effects of colonialism, white supremacy, inequitable policies, racism, poverty, homophobia, transphobia, gun violence, and misogyny. Some argue that advocacy and activism have no place in forensic anthropological praxis. The counterarguments for engaging in advocacy and activism uphold white, heterosexual, cisgender, and ableist privilege by arguing that perceived objectivity and unbiased perspectives are more important than personally biasing experiences and positionality that supposedly jeopardize the science and expert testimony. Advocacy and activism, however, are not new to the practice of anthropology. Whether through sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, or other areas of biological anthropology, activism and advocacy play an important role, using both the scientific method and community engagement. Using a North American approach, we detail the scope of the issues, address how advocacy and activism are perceived in the wider discipline of anthropology, and define ways in which advocacy and activism can be utilized more broadly in the areas of casework, research, and education.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9461/4/1/5advocacyactivismforensic anthropologyBlack, Indigenous, and People of ColorMissing and Murdered Indigenous PeopleMigrant |
| spellingShingle | Donovan M. Adams Juliette R. Bedard Samantha H. Blatt Eman Faisal Jesse R. Goliath Grace Gregory-Alcock Ariel Gruenthal-Rankin Patricia N. Morales Lorenzo Ashley C. Smith Sean D. Tallman Rylan Tegtmeyer Hawke Hannah Whitelaw Speaking Truth to Power: Toward a Forensic Anthropology of Advocacy and Activism Humans advocacy activism forensic anthropology Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Migrant |
| title | Speaking Truth to Power: Toward a Forensic Anthropology of Advocacy and Activism |
| title_full | Speaking Truth to Power: Toward a Forensic Anthropology of Advocacy and Activism |
| title_fullStr | Speaking Truth to Power: Toward a Forensic Anthropology of Advocacy and Activism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Speaking Truth to Power: Toward a Forensic Anthropology of Advocacy and Activism |
| title_short | Speaking Truth to Power: Toward a Forensic Anthropology of Advocacy and Activism |
| title_sort | speaking truth to power toward a forensic anthropology of advocacy and activism |
| topic | advocacy activism forensic anthropology Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Migrant |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9461/4/1/5 |
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