Ethnographic Intelligence
The Human Terrain System and Its Enduring Legacy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20068291 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Roberto J González (0000-0003-4847-497X, San Jose State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2017 |
| Pages | 51-73 |
| Publication date | 2017-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | CHAPTER |
| Venue | Reconfiguring Intervention (SOURCE_BOOK) |
| Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan UK (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1057/978-1-137-58877-7_3 |
| OpenAlex | W2587568788 |
| ISBN | 9781137588777 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 5 |
This chapter analyzes the rise and fall of the US Army’s human terrain system (HTS), which was created in 2006 and was terminated in 2014. It cost taxpayers at least $725 million, making it the most expensive social science program in history. Anthropologists opposed HTS because it represented an unacceptable application of anthropological expertise. A small but vocal group of officers also criticized the program, claiming it was an ineffective, wasteful program. Investigative reports revealed patters of racism, sexual harassment, and mismanagement. Eventually, the program was terminated, due in part to the withdrawal of US combat troops from Iraq and the waning popularity of counter-insurgency. The chapter concludes with a discussion of new Pentagon programs that borrow elements of HTS
Cartography · Criminology · Ethnography · Geography · Harassment · Insurgency · Pentagon · Political science · Politics · Popularity · Racism · Sociology · Terrain · Anthropology · Anthropology: Ethics, History, Culture · Law
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2020 - 2024 (5) |
| Highly cited | No |