There are many individuals and organizations that travel into tribal and peasant communities in order to bring about some type of deliberate change. While some of these activities might be exploitative in nature (such as the establishment of mining and manufacturing activities), others are focused on bringing about what are perceived as positive changes for the target population. These latter activities include the work of missionaries, public health and medical practitioners, and non-profit organizations in the areas of economic development and education. While well-meaning, a large proportion of such activities ends up with unintended consequences that bring about negative changes to the target community.
Many anthropologists are interested in culture change, and people who work to bring about change who have anthropological training often are more successful and cause less damage than those without such training. In this forum, we are not going to discuss whether or not these activities are beneficial to the target community nor are we going to discuss whether or not they should be carried out. We are interested in the process of bringing about change.
You have been hired by an organization to introduce a project that involves a change in a community. This can be the establishment of a factory manufacturing clothing for the overseas market or perhaps the establishment of a health clinic. As an anthropologist, what steps would you take to (1) ensure the success of your project and (2) minimize the negative unintended consequences that are so frequently associated with these types of projects?
