Conference Proposal: Strengthening Methods and Broadening Public Impacts in Psychological and Cultural Anthropology Santa Ana Pueblo, NM, April 4-7, 2019

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to give scientists more of the knowledge and tools they need to produce robust and reliable research. By providing a forum to engage with national colleagues renowned for their expertise in research design, methodology and public impact, this project will enhance both the quality and relevance of future research efforts. The workshop provides a platform for scientific collaboration, the results of which will benefit those working to develop more effective methodologies and avenues for the dissemination of findings from anthropological research to promote public scientific understanding. Products from the workshop will be made publicly available. The project also contributes to the training of graduate students in methods of scientifically-grounded and empirical data collection. Under the leadership of Dr. Jill Korbin of the Case Western University and Dr. Rebecca Lester of Washington University, six workshops will be convened and led by thirteen scholars immediately before and concurrent with the biennial meeting of the Society for Psychological Anthropology (SPA) in Santa Ana Pueblo, NM, from April 4-7, 2019. There will be two pre-conference workshops addressing methodologies, one on using standardized instruments in ethnographic research; and the other focused on innovative linguistic methods in anthropology. Two other pre-conference workshops will address effective communication and dissemination of research: strategies for successful grant writing and disseminating research findings beyond anthropology. And two additional workshops will be offered during the regular conference hours. The first, Methods in Visual Anthropology, will be a double-session workshop that will offer participants hands-on opportunities for exploring this emerging research and dissemination opportunity. The second will be a writing workshop, scheduled on the last morning of the conference. This workshop will be aimed at advanced dissertation and early career stage anthropologists who have not yet published a scientific article. The workshops will advance psychological and cultural anthropology through advancements and innovations in research design and methodology. Because concepts that have been extensively developed and theorized in the subfield of psychological anthropology have been increasingly abstracted more widely in the behavioral and social sciences, a strong multiplier effect beyond the specific subfield is expected. It is anticipated that more than 150 scholars will participate in person in these workshops. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.