ebooks Anthropological Intelligence: The Deployment and Neglect of American Anthropology in the Second World War by David H. Price in History

Review

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful. Comprehensive history of anthropology during WWIIBy E. M. Van CourtThe title "Anthropological Intelligence" is a little misleading. Even the subtitle "The Deployment and Neglect of American Anthropology in the Second World War" falls short of the reality of this encyclopaedic account of anthropology; anthropologists; and other social sciences and scientists in World War II.This may be the definative study of the roles and impacts of social scientists in World War II; but this only made it harder to rate. It is not a book to casually sit down and enjoy; but it runs the gamut from riveting to painfully dry to deeply moving to somewhat sermonizing through the 280+ pages of text. David Price examines the history of the use of anthropology as an enabler and tool for the instruments of national power. The book was written from an anthropologist's perspective; and often agonizes over the ethical conflicts of the use of an academic discipline as a tool of power. It is interesting to me that the underlying issue goes back millenia; but Price never developed it and barely mentioned it; the conflict between the values of the contemplative life and the active life. Despite the ups; downs; and doldrums of reading it; I learned a lot and have a deeper context for current issues that I have been exposed to.Price starts out with the background of dissent from academics regarding the application of their disciplines prior to WWII. He pays considerable attention to conflicts within the American Anthropoligical Association around Franz Boas protests of the use of anthropology and archeology by the government during WWI. Setting the pattern for the rest of "Anthropological Intelligence"; Price neglects to acknowledge the possibility that protests against anthropologists and archeologists supporting the government may have had more to do with guilt; cowardice; or resentment towards the success of the scientists who went into harms' way for the war effort; than the high-minded ideals that the protesters asserted. Regarding the dehumanizing uses of anthropology; I concur with Price; that WWI developed models of using social sciences as unethical tools that was carried on during WWII. But to compare field researchers volunteering to share their observations with government intelligence agencies with the use of anthopology to lay the foundations of German racial policies is as irrational as comparing radio interceptions with the use of physically abusive interrogation methods.The rest of the book covers in great depth the roles of anthropologists in WWII. Some; like the academics who ended up fighting on the front lines of the Pacific campaign; are heroic and inspiring characters; and others; like the ones who worked in support of the internment of the Japanese Americans are shameful. All aspects of the war are addressed; Pacific theater; European theater; domestic issues for several of the combatant nations; tactical operations; and geopolitical influences. The diverse roles of anthropologists in the OSS was especially interesting to me. From senior leadership positions to field operators; the social sciences were well represented in the predecessor of the CIA and Special Forces.Throughout the book; in the commentaries Price agonizes over the fundamental conflict between academics and geopolitical actors. He clearly supports the idea that science should never prostitute itself (p. 16; 268); but never reconciles this with his acceptance of the use of science for professional benefits (p.270). So it is morally intolerable to use social sciences in support of national interests and the body politic; but just fine to use it for the personal benefit of academics? The undertone of the entire book is that there should be a complete seperation of academic research and the actions of the government. Apparently; this is because the democratically elected government is somehow an inappropriate body to apply the results of academic work. At the same time; Price makes it clear that social scientists have special insights into a vast number of cultures; languages; and other aspects of the world; but sharing the fruits of this work with nonacademics is somehow suspect.This book was well worth reading and dealt with extremely complex issues; but was very much a social scientist's perspective; and dealt with some of the geopolitical and military aspects in a naive fashion.E. M. Van Court17 of 18 people found the following review helpful. Intersection of Humanity; Intelligence (Spy Type); and EthicsBy Robert David STEELE VivasI stumbled across this at a time when I was trying to understand the problems associated with the Human Terrain Teams (HTT) that according to their sponsor (a training and doctrine command without real-world ties);[Human Terrain System] HTS is a new proof-of-concept program; run by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC); and serving the joint community. The near-term focus of the HTS program is to improve the military's ability to understand the highly complex local socio-cultural environment in the areas where they are deployed; however; in the long-term; HTS hopes to assist the US government in understanding foreign countries and regions prior to an engagement within that region.There are many flaws in the above official statement; not least of which that there is nothing new in this idea; and--as the book I am reviewing puts forward so well--the ethics of the method merits--demands--thoughtful discussion.This book--and the modern anthropologists who are acutely--and righteously--aggrieved by the mis-direction of their craft--are a blessing. The USA in particular is so far removed from ground truth realities that as one World Bank executive put it to me (describing CIA analysts seeking explanations of an African failed state) as to be "breathtaking in their ignorance." We *need* deep and broad anthropological understanding; but we must not pervert that craft in the process of engaging it.I appreciated this book very much. We need more like it; addressing each of the social and scientific disciplines and the manner in which they might serve (or mis-serve) the public interest.Here are some of my notes from this excellent work:1. Professionally developed; a useful glossary.2. Seeks to reconcile humanism with patriotism; the latter to be subordinated (in blunt terms; this means that rendition and torture are never okay; even when Presidents and General lie to you and say it is necessary).3. The book provides an excellent tour of the past in which anthropologists and their craft have been used not to understand; but to manipulate and deceive.4. I acquired an insight: we have failed to lead the social sciences toward educating our publics and our leaders so as to adapt to the globalized world. We persist in treating academia as a means to get what we want; regardless of whether or not it is righteous.5. One learns in this book that the Japanese in the 1930's and the 1940's fully explored Islamic alliances against the West.6. On multiple fronts across varied contributors the book suggests that we have made a mistake in subordinating education to nationalistic versions of history and nationalistic version of rights; and we have failed to raise generations of *humans* [and I can more or less self-certify we have also failed to raise generations of educated engaged citizens].7. I come away from the book with a very strong feeling of respect for anthropologists--properly led and listened to--as the first line of expertise on all foreign affairs. [I wonder in passing how many anthropologists are serving in the Department of State today; or if the Secretary of State has ever asked for an anthropological study--and I do not mean the simple guides to local customs.]8. As the Department of Defense declares that "stabilization reconstruction" are co-equal to waging war (my own General Al Gray; then Commandant of the Marine Corps; called in 1988 for open source intelligence to justify peaceful preventive measures) it is not only clear that the social sciences must be applied to assure the development of healthy human relationships at all levels; but that anthropologists must be marshaled in the most constructive way possible--as many of them as possible; as soon as possible; and NOT wearing uniforms; body armor; and sunglasses.9. I am persuaded by the book that British anthropologists are more nuanced and sophisticated than Americans (and probably spend more time in their countries of study; are more fluent in the language; and more patient in the observation).10. As I seek to summarize what anthropology does I come up with two phrases: a) at its best; and b) the theory and practice of intra-cultural and inter-cultural exchanges; both positive and negative.11. I put the book down realizing that there are millions and millions of displaced peoples that we have failed to study; assist; and resettle; and that in the end; this is anthropologies greatest failure.Other notes from the margins:a. "Justifiably disgruntled" domestic minorities are not being heardb. Cultural cohesion is an antidote to propagandac. Rockefeller pioneered the use of anthropology to catalog Latin American resources; including cheap foreign labor; and then started foundations to carry on the work in the guise of charitable efforts.d. Quotes to ponder: "our memory gaps have political consequences" and "socially-disengaged science is blind science"e. Social formations are as important as scientific formations.f. Anthropology will love have to live down its service to colonialism; militarism; and predatory immoral capitalism (as opposed to moral capitalism that does well by doing good)g. Eugenics is anthropology in the devil's hands.Sensational quote on the effects of secrecy on academic study:"One of the side effects of secret programs like the M Project was that; as secrecy disengaged the normative; potentially self-correcting features of the open academic scientific process; members of research groups who became mired in fallacious thinking labored unchecked under increasingly questionable assumptions and flawed logic." Page 141We come full circle to the Army's Human Terrain Teams of today.Other books I recommend:Anthropologists in the Public Sphere: Speaking Out on War; Peace; and American PowerStrategic Intelligence Statecraft: Selected Essays (Brassey's Intelligence and National Security Library)The Health of Nations: Society and Law beyond the StateConsilience: The Unity of KnowledgeStatecraft as SoulcraftConfessions of an Economic Hit Man1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before ColumbusThe Rise of Global Civil Society: Building Communities and Nations from the Bottom UpA More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility--Report of the Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Threats; Challenges and ChangeHigh Noon 20 Global Problems; 20 Years to Solve Them