Society for Applied Anthropology

Society for Applied Anthropology

Abbreviation	SfAA
Formation	1941
Membership	2000+
President	Sherylyn Briller
Website	Society for Applied Anthropology

The Society for Applied Anthropology (SfAA) is a worldwide organization for the Applied Social Sciences, established "to promote the integration of anthropological perspectives and methods in solving human problems throughout the world; to advocate for fair and just public policy based upon sound research; to promote public recognition of anthropology as a profession; and to support the continuing professionalization of the field." Members include academic as well as practicing and applied anthropologists. The Society is unique among professional associations in membership and purpose – and in representing the interests of professionals in a wide range of settings including academia, business, law, public health, medicine, environment, and government. The unifying factor is a commitment to making an impact on the quality of life in the world. The Society publishes two journals: Human Organization and Practicing Anthropology. The SfAA was founded in 1941 and has maintained its status as an important resource for practicing and academic anthropologists alike.

Committees and interest groups

The SfAA consists of fourteen special committees and interest groups that allow members to have meaningful dialog with other members from their specialized area of interest.

Committees

• Award Committees
• Standing Committees
• Special Committees
• Human Rights and Social Justice Committee
• Public Policy Committee
• Oral History Committee

Topical Interest Groups (TIG)

• Applied Anthropology and Tourism
• Applied Educational Anthropology
• American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and Canadian First Nation
• Gender-Based Violence
• Grassroots Development
• Migration and International Dialogue
• Risk and Disasters
• Reproduction, Politics, and Culture
• Business Anthropology

Publications

The SfAA has a number of publications. The journals Human Organization and Practicing Anthropology are the best known of the SfAA's publications. The SfAA also publishes The Classics of Practicing Anthropology; Human Rights: The Scholar as Activist - a special volume exploring how scholars can become advocates against human rights violations; and a curated volume of essays honoring Malinowski Award recipients.

Human Organization

Human Organization is the main journal for the Society for Applied Anthropology. It is the leading publication for peer reviewed scholarship in the applied sciences. The journal publishes articles that examine and apply methods and theories of anthropology as solutions to problems facing the contemporary world. Publications include original research, analyses of methods, and discussions of research practices. Articles consist of no more than 8,000 previously unpublished words. The journal is distributed online or via mail to current dues paying members of the SfAA. The journal is also available to purchase online for non-members.

Practicing Anthropology

Practicing Anthropology is a publication for members of the SfAA who work outside academia. The journal seeks to link practicing anthropologists with academic anthropologists, inform policy research and implementation, and provide a reflexive look into the history and future of anthropology as a discipline. The journal is driven by its contributors who are encouraged to submit special issues as well as individual research articles for publication. Practicing Anthropology is an editor-reviewed publication. There is no fee to contributing authors who are current SfAA members. The journal is distributed online or via mail to current dues paying members of the SfAA. The journal is also available to purchase online for non-members.

Meetings

The SfAA has an annual meeting every spring (March or April), usually in the US. Archived programs for meetings are available online back to 1999. The SfAA hosts its annual meeting with a number of co-sponsoring professional organizations that have similar goals. Some of these organizations include the Council on Nursing and Anthropology, the Society for Medical Anthropology, and the Canadian Anthropology Society.

Malinowski Award

Since 1973 the SfAA has awarded the Malinowski Award annually. The award is named in honor of famed anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski. Malinowski was a leading advocate for the application of anthropological methods to address the world's problems. Malinowski argued that "must advocate for native populations, involve themselves in policy matters and politics, and research contemporary social issues".

Sol Tax Distinguished Service Award

The Sol Tax Distinguished Service Award is an award given by the Society and named after Sol Tax, an anthropologist known for creating action anthropology and founding the academic journal Current Anthropology. It is presented to an individual who has provided long-term and truly distinguished service to the Society. The award is presented annually, beginning in 2002.

Recipients

Year	Recipient
2002	Art Gallaher
2003	John van Willigen
2004	Erve Chambers
2005	Gilbert Kushner
2006	Willis E. Sibley
2007	Sue-Ellen Jacobs
2008	Lucy Cohen
2009	Don Stull
2010	Linda Bennett
2011	Michael Angrosino
2012	Ann McElroy
2013	Allan Burns
2014	Ted Downing
2015	Jeanne Simonelli
2016	Stanley Hyland
2017	Peter Kunstadter
2018	Linda Whiteford
2019	Roberto Alvarez
2020	Susan Andreatta
2021	Riall Nolan
2022	Brian Foster

External links

• Society for Applied Anthropology