CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY: Ethical Issues in Anthropology

This report addresses the ethical issues faced by anthropologists, including concerns about safety, privacy, and dignity of research participants. It highlights the importance of respecting diverse cultures and navigating potential conflicts arising from differing values. The report also discusses the challenges of obtaining informed consent and the potential for anxieties related to anonymity and recognition within the studied groups. It emphasizes the need for anthropologists to carefully consider these ethical dimensions throughout their studies, referencing relevant academic sources to support its arguments. The report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the ethical landscape in anthropology, contributing to a deeper understanding of responsible research practices.

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Ethical issues faced by anthropologists
Anthropology is defined as the general study of human beings, their behavior and their
society both in the past periods and the present. (American Anthropological association , 2016)
On the other hand, ethical issues are situations that need individuals to make choices between
alternatives and in this case they have to be evaluated as either morally right or wrong. Issues
concerning the morals, beliefs, and norms range here. When anthropologists are studying, they
face some of the following issues.
1. Safety, privacy and dignity issues
Issues concerning the safety, privacy and also the dignity of the participants-
anthropologists are mainly involved in subjects that entail human beings participations and
study. In the course studying these subjects, they are entitled to fieldwork whereby their
primary specimen is a human being. It is essential that anthologists uphold the secrecy, the
safety, and dignity of all the people they come across in the course of their study.
2. Diversification
When studying some subjects, anthropologists come across people of different
diversification with different cultures and way of living. Sometimes it is fun to cope with
such situation and some other times is challenging more so when it is displeasing according
to one’s value. Therefore it is vital that anthropologists respect the practices by the parties
they meet in the course of their subjects.
3. Poor consent

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Sometimes it is hard to predict the mood someone is. This can lead to wrong
interpretation of information and also put off an anthology student undertaking a fieldwork
subject.
4. Fear for Anonymousity and recognition
Fear for Anonymousity and recognition of the group being studied. Some people do not
want to be used as a specimen for study, and this issue becomes challenging more so when
studying subject that involves susceptible matters of human life. (Belote, 2007)

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References
American Anthropological Association. (2016). What is anthropology? Advancing knowledge,
solving a human problem.
Belote, L. (2007). Ethics in Anthropology: Anthropology: 43.