Conclusion

The conclusion takes up the questions raised by the cases discussed here, including the false dichotomy between basic science and engaged research, by showing how their findings are of value beyond their initial objectives and contexts. Engaged anthropology offers new sites for research and identifies novel topics. It also suggests caution when writing from a distance, when seeking solutions to problems, and when debates are polarized. It can generate valuable hypotheses for future research. Thus a key dimension of engaged research is its capacity to contribute to larger debates rather than being instrumental in scope. Finally, the conclusion considers whether engaged research produces ethnography that is good enough, whether it contributes to desirable political outcomes, and whether it is good for the discipline of anthropology.

Biology · Dimension (graph theory) · Epistemology · Ethnography · Key (lock) · Political science · Politics · Scope (computer science) · Sociology · Value (mathematics) · Anthropology · Anthropology: Ethics, History, Culture · Computer Science · Ecology · Indigenous Studies and Ecology · Law · Mathematics · Philosophy