Applied anthropology refers to the application of method and theory in anthropology to the analysis and solution of practical problems. Inasmuch as anthropology proper comprises four subdisciplines -- biological, cultural, linguistic, and archeological anthropology -- the practical application of any of these subdisciplines may properly be designated "applied anthropology. Indeed, some practical problems may invoke all subdisciplines. For example, a Native American community development program may involve archeological research to determine legitimacy of water rights claims, ethnography may involve assessing the current and recent historical cultural characteristics of the community, linguistics may be applied to restoring language competetence, and biological, or more specifically "medical" anthropology may be applied to determine the factors contributing to dietary deficiency diseases, etc.

Some regard applied anthropology to be a fifth subdiscipline of anthropology that applies anthropological data, perspectives, theory, and methods to identify, assess and solve contemporary social problems. Anthropolology (from the Greek word , man or person+knowledge) consists of the study of humanity (see genus Homo). ...

Applied anthropologists often work for nonacademic clients such as governments, development agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), tribal and ethnic associations, interest groups, social-service and educational agencies, and businesses. Ethnography and participant observation are the applied anthropologist's primary research tools. They also use textual analysis, survey research and other empirical methods to inform policy or to market products. An applied anthropologist is often likely to be employed in a non-academic setting. A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization that is not part of a government and was not founded by states. ... Ethnography (from the Greek ethnos = people and graphein = writing) refers to the genre of writing that presents varying degrees of qualitative and quantitative descriptions of human social phenomena, based on fieldwork. ... Participant observation is a major research strategy which aims to gain a close and intimate familiarity with a given group of individuals (such as a religious, occupational, or deviant group) and their practices through an intensive involvement with people in their natural environment. ... Statistical surveys are used to collect quantitative information in the fields of marketing, political polling, and social science research. ... Empirical is an adjective often used in conjunction with science, both the natural and social sciences, which means an observation or experiment based upon experience that is capable of being verified or disproved. ... Look up policy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Wikibooks has more about this subject: Marketing Look up marketing in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

This is a contrast to more academic sociocultural anthropology, which may be more concerned with creating theoretical models which correspond to its units of analysis, e.g. social inequality, performance, exchange, meaning, and so forth. Sometimes the research that falls within the applied field is referred to as "applied" in contrast to academic research, which is referred to as "basic." Look up Contrast in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Plato is credited with the inception of academia: the body of knowledge, its development and transmission across generations. ... In mathematics, theory is used informally to refer to a body of knowledge about mathematics. ... Social inequality refers to disparities in the distribution of material wealth in a society. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... In cultural anthropology, reciprocity is a way of defining peoples informal trading of goods and labor; that is, peoples informal economic systems. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

Examples of questions that an applied anthropologist would attempt to solve might be:

• If an American buys diapers at 2AM on a Saturday in a grocery store, what is likely to be his/her next purchase?
• How can public health authorities promote condom use amongst members of a particular subculture?
• What measures could be taken to make sponge diving safer for Greek sponge divers?
• Why do people migrate to XYZ place or from PQR place?

The premiere journal in the US of applied anthropology is Human Organization published by the Society for Applied Anthropology. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Public health is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based on population health analysis. ... A 67 m long condom on the Obelisk of Buenos Aires, Argentina, part of an awareness campaign for the 2005 World AIDS Day A condom is a device, usually made of latex, or more recently polyurethane, that is used during sexual intercourse. ... In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a set of people with distinct sets of behavior and beliefs that differentiate them from a larger culture of which they are a part. ... Classes Calcarea Hexactinellida Demospongiae The sponges or poriferans (from the Greek poros pore and ferro to bear) are animals of the phylum Porifera. ... Diving refers to the sport of acrobatically jumping or falling into water. ... mtDNA-based chart of large human migrations. ... Human Organization is the journal of the Society for Applied Anthropology. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Under the directorship of the RAI, Jonathan Benthall, author of The Best of Anthropology Today, created the annual The Lucy Mair Medal of Applied Anthropology. This recognizes excellence in using anthropology "for the relief of poverty or distress, or for the active recognition of human dignity."

See also

• Development anthropology
• Public Anthropology

• Expeditions, Research in Applied Anthropology
• Omertaa. Journal for Applied Anthropology - Free online Journal for anthropologists.