Anthropology Challenges

Anthropology faces a lot of problems, one of them in terms of technology. In contrast to other careers, we don’t use a lot of technology, except for computer programs to analyze data. One of them, for example, is the SPSS. The thing is that, related to education; in University doesn’t teach us how to use these programs properly. We have statistical courses, but there are very basic and beside SPSS, we haven’t met other programs so far. This is related, once again, to educational and methodological problems, because it is believed that anthropology only uses qualitative techniques, but we use quantitative techniques too, like surveys. I think there are computer programs to analyze qualitative data, but we haven’t met them either.
In terms of education, the anthropology challenges are related to the curricular program, the courses, and their relation with the application of this science in the work field. Our courses are very theoretical and not practical (especially in archaeology and physical anthropology), but is more than that, because we have only a few subjects about investigations techniques. This is very important, because when you work in something related to social sciences you have to know how to design a properly investigation problem (this is not only for the people who want to work in public policies). The other problems are mentioned in the preceding paragraph.
I think that the problems I mentioned before can be resolved easily, because they depend of the University (in this case I only speak about my experience in this University), but I think that the methodological problem is general. But one of the biggest problems is that the social sciences are not valued in Chile. The State doesn’t give money to these degrees in the “public” Universities, and in the work field there are only a few spaces to develop these careers. They are not very good paid, and there are a lot of people who doesn’t know what anthropology and archaeology are and what they do. The State and other careers doesn’t value or appreciate what the social sciences can do, or how they can contribute.
These problems can be resolved, at least the first ones, easily; because these kinds of subjects, related to methodologies, for example, can be introduced in the curricular programs, but all this depend of the University. But the last problem is difficult to resolve, a lot of things would have to change before the State and the people appreciate social sciences.
Regards,
Penny