Back
to Top of PageSharon
Stoerger MLS,
MBA
sstoer@yahoo.com
Professional
Associations: Codes of Ethics and Conduct
Professional
Associations: Related Codes & Information
Case Studies ~~Ethical
Issues and Controversies ~~ Other
Anthropology Ethics Materials
Additional
Resources
Codes of Ethics and Conduct:
American Academy of Forensic Sciences
(AAFS): Bylaws
http://www.aafs.org/?section_id=aafs&page_id=aafs_bylaws
Professionals from the field of physical anthropology are just part of the diverse
group that makes up the membership of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences
(AAFS). The AAFS Bylaws page not only outlines the rules and regulations of
the group, but it also includes a section about codes of ethics and conduct.
American Anthropological Association (AAA)
The Public Anthropology Web site
has information about a proposal to revise the AAA Code of Ethics. More information
about this initiative can be found at http://www.publicanthropology.org/ElDoradoTaskForce/IndexPage.htm.
American Association of Physical
Anthropologists (AAPA): Code of Ethics
http://physanth.org/
The American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA) began in 1930 with
80 charter members, and that membership has grown to include more than 1,500
individuals from around the world. AAPA is the leading professional association
for physical anthropologists. A draft version of the AAPA Code of Ethics has
been recently added to the organization's site, and it is available in HTML
and PDF versions.
American Cultural Resources Association
Code of Ethics (ACRA)
http://www.acra-crm.org/Ethics.html
ACRA was formed in 1995 and was designed to serve the needs of the cultural
resources industry. This organization's code of ethics was drafted so the public
could see the principles that its members strive to uphold.
Archaeological Institute of America
(AIA)
http://www.archaeological.org/webinfo.php?page=10000
AIA is the oldest and largest archaeological organization in North American.
It is dedicated to supporting archaeological research and protecting the world's
cultural heritage.
Association of Social Anthropology
(ASA): Ethical Guidelines for Good Research Practice
http://les1.man.ac.uk/asa/Ethics/ethics.htm
Social anthropologists, like many other researchers, face ethical dilemmas out
in the field. ASA, a group founded in 1946 and dedicated to the study and teaching
of social anthropology, has outlined ethical standards for members to follow.
European Association of Archaeologists
(EAA): Codes
http://www.e-a-a.org/eaacodes.htm
EAA is a membership-based association of archaeologists and others interested
in this area of study. Over 1100 members from more than 41 countries and involved
in prehistory, classical, medieval and later archaeology belong to EAA. This
site provides links to the EAA Code of Practice and Code of Conduct. Italian
and Spanish versions of these codes are also available.
International Council of Museums
(ICOM)
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/icom/ethics.html
This organization considers its detailed code of ethics policy to be a type
of "self-regulation" mechanism that outlines performance standards
for its members.
National Association for the Practice
of Anthropology (NAPA)-Ethical Guidelines for Practitioners
http://www.aaanet.org/napa/code.htm
The development of the NAPA Ethical Guidelines for Practitioners was a collaborative
process between NAPA and the Southern California Applied Anthropology Network
(SCAAN). This document was developed as a "guide to the professional and
ethical responsibilities that practicing anthropologists should uphold."
Register of Professional Archaeologists
(RPA): Codes of Conduct
http://www.rpanet.org/conduct.htm
This association consists of members who have agreed to abide by certain rules
and standards of professional conduct. RPA even has a grievance procedure, which
allows for the investigation of complaints against member professional conduct.
Society for American Archaeology
(SAA): Principles of Archaeological Ethics
http://www.saa.org/AboutSAA/ethics/prethic.html
SAA is an international organization that is dedicated to the "research,
interpretation and protection of the archaeological heritage of the Americas."
This group recognizes that archaeologists face many dilemmas while in the field
and have set up these ethical guidelines to assist members in dealing with those
challenges.
Society for Applied Anthropology
(SfAA)
http://www.sfaa.net/sfaaethic.html
The "Ethical & Professional Responsibilities" section of the SfAA
site is intended to be a guide to professional behavior for its members.
Statement of Ethics for the American
Folklore Society (AFS)
http://www.afsnet.org/aboutAFS/ethics.cfm
The AFS Board of Directors has approved this ethics statement, but the
group still considers it to be a document that will change and evolve over time.
This statement is to be used to help clarify the responsibilities of professional
folklorists.
World Archaeological Congress
(WAC)
http://www.wac.uct.ac.za/archive/content/ethics.html
WAC is an international forum for people interested in the research of the past.
The code of ethics for this organization has two different sections: 1)
principles to abide by; and 2) rules to adhere to.
American Sociological Association
(ASA)
http://www.asanet.org/members/ecoderev.html
The ASA code outlines the professional responsibilities and conduct of sociologist.
ASA has a "Policies and Procedures" page at http://www.asanet.org/members/enforce.html
that describes its Committee on Professional Ethics (COPE).
American Statistical Association
(ASA)
http://www.tcnj.edu/~asaethic
This site, provided by the American Statistical Association Committee on Professional
Ethics, is intended to facilitate and encourage dialog about statistical ethics.
The Belmont Report: Ethical Principles
and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research
http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/mpa/belmont.php3
The Belmont Report is a summary of the ethics principles outlined at the National
Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral
Research. Specific recommendations are not given in this particular Commission
report.
Canadian Archaeological Association
(CAA)
http://www.canadianarchaeology.com/home.lasso
Members of the Canadian Archaeological Association include professionals, students
and members of the general public who have an interest in the archaeological
heritage of Canada. The "Principles of Ethical Conduct" page, as well
as other sections of the site, is accessible in English or French.
Declaration of Helsinki
http://www.faseb.org/arvo/helsinki.htm
The Declaration of Helsinki was developed by the World Medical Association to
act as an ethics guide to those involved in medical research involving human
subjects.
Middle East Studies Association
(MESA)
http://fp.arizona.edu/mesassoc/ethics.htm
MESA's ethics committee has outlined a statement that addresses issues that
arise in the areas of teaching, research and publishing in the Middle East.
A policy on plagiarism is also included in the statement.
Professions of Duplexity: A Prehistory
of Ethical Codes in Anthropology
http://www.pscw.uva.nl/gm/articles/pp1999.htm
Peter Pels, University of Amsterdam, discusses the renewed interest in the U.
S. and countries around the world in developing codes of ethics for the field
of anthropology. Pels discusses why this shift has occurred and how it relates
to the scientific truth.
Sierra Club Archaeological Sites
Policy
http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/conservation/archaeology.asp
The Sierra Club believes that “the protection and preservation of archaeological
resources should be considered a priority in all actions taken or promoted by
the Sierra Club.” Five main points that are advocated by the Sierra Club
are detailed on this site.
The Society for Economic Botany
(SEB)
http://www.econbot.org/home.html
SEB, established in 1959, is considered to be the world's largest and most respected
society for individuals dedicated to the ethnological study of plants. At least
1000 individuals from all 50 U. S. states and representing more than 64 countries
make up the membership of this organization. The goal of SEB is to "foster
and encourage scientific research, education, and related activities on the
past, present, and future uses of plants, and the relationship between plants
and people, and to make the results of such research available to the scientific
community and the general public through meetings and publications."
An Ethics Index section is provided at this site, and it includes resources such as the SEB Code of Ethics, Codes from other related professional associations, and teaching ethics materials. The Ethics Index can be located at http://www.econbot.org/ethics/.
Sociological Research Online
http://www.socresonline.org.uk/info/ethguide.html
The process to develop this statement of ethical practice by the British Sociological
Association was helped in part by the codes produced by the American Sociological
Association, the Association of Social Anthropologist of the Commonwealth and
the Social Research Association.
Case Studies
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/9893/cslinks.html
Karen Supak designed this site to be used as a scholarly resource for those
interested in biological anthropology or related fields. Her "Case Studies"
section has 5 different anthropology-related case studies to investigate.
Cases on Research Ethics
http://rcr.ucsd.edu/tools/cases.htm
The case studies posted at this site are intended to facilitate discussions
about scientific integrity. They are general scenarios and are not anthropology
specific.
The Gladiator Sparrow: Ethical
Issues in Behavioral Research on Captive Populations of Wild Animals
http://onlineethics.org/reseth/appe/vol4/gladiator.html
A graduate student in psychobiology is studying the development of aggressive
behaviors in non-human animals. She decides to test environmental influences
on the development of these aggressive behaviors in gladiator sparrows, and
she encounters a few problems during the research process. Discussion questions
and commentaries follow the scenario.
**Numerous cases and commentaries on graduate research ethics cases can be found at http://onlineethics.org/reseth/appe/.**
Handbook on Ethical Issues in
Anthropology
The American Anthropological Association has two different "chapters"
with a total of 25 case studies. Twelve cases can be found in "Chapter
3: Cases and Solutions" and 13 cases can be found in "Chapter 4: Cases
and Comments." Both chapters are good places to start for anthropological
scenarios.
Smithsonian Institution: Anthropology
Outreach Office--Ethical Dilemmas
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/anthro/outreach/edethica.html
This site that is part of a teacher packet provides an outline of how instructors
can organize discussions on ethical issues and dilemmas faced by anthropologists
in the field. Six cases are provided along with a set of questions that are
designed to stimulate discussions on the topics.
Society for American Archaeology
Bulletin 16(4) From the Ethics Committee
http://www.saa.org/publications/saabulletin/16-4/SAA13.html
This site posts two of the four invented ethical issue scenarios presented at
the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) forum in Seattle.
The Society for Economic Botany
(SEB): Teaching Ethics--Ethical Dilemmas
http://www.econbot.org/ethics/teaching_ethics.html
Dr. Will McClutchey, from the University of Hawaii, has contributed the 15 different
questions/scenarios that appear on this SEB site, and they are designed to spark
ethical discussions in the classroom. Topics include using narcotics in cultures
where that activity is introduced, developing relationships with tribal people
and becoming indoctrinated into a particular religious sect in order to participate
in secret ceremonies.
Professional Association Statements on Issues:
American Anthropological Association
(AAA): Statements
http://www.aaanet.org/stmts/ethstmnt.htm
The Council of the AAA has adopted a general statement on the responsibilities
anthropologists must adhere to in order to ethically perform in this profession.
A list of 15 specific statements approved by the Executive Board of the Association
on issues such as race, evolution and the Cuban Trade Embargo can be found at
http://www.aaanet.org/stmts/index.htm.
American Association of Physical
Anthropologists (AAPA)
http://www.physanth.org/
"Clovis and Beyond"
Conference
http://clovisandbeyond.org/conference.html
The "Clovis and Beyond" Conference held in Santa Fe, NM in 1999 was
considered to be one of the "most important conferences in New World history
in more than 50 years." For more information about this conference, go
to the January 2000 issue of Mammoth Trumpet at http://www.peak.org/csfa/mt15-1.html.
The Clovis First/Pre-Clovis Problem
http://www.ele.net/art_folsom/preclvis.htm
This site discusses the Clovis controversy and is divided into two sections.
The first provides background information on this topic, and the second discusses
the author's proposed theory and its implications.
Find May Rewrite Americas' Prehistory
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/americas/feb/17/artifact.htm
"Find May Rewrite Americas' Prehistory" is a Washington Post
article that discusses the discovery of artifacts in South America, thousands
of miles away from the Clovis site.
Monte Verde: About.com
http://archaeology.about.com/library/excav/blmonteverde.htm
Links to information about the Monte Verde controversy and other resources
dealing with Clovis can be found at this About.com site.
Monte Verde and the Antiquity
of Humankind in the Americas
http://intarch.ac.uk/antiquity/adovasio.html
J. M. Adovasio and D. R. Pedler address issues surrounding the Monte Verde
debate in this brief article.
Monte Verde Excavation: Or Clovis
Police Beat a Retreat
http://www.unl.edu/rhames/monte_verde/MonteVerde.htm
"Monte Verde Excavation" discusses the verification process of this
pre-Clovis site.
Monte Verde Fallout
http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/clovis/rose2.html
Two questions arise when debating the Monte Verde saga.
Monte Verde Under Fire
http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/clovis/
This article takes a look at the questions surrounding the Monte Verde site
in southern Chile.
On Monte Verde: Fiedel's Confusions
and Misrepresentations
http://www.uky.edu/Projects/MonteVerde/
Stuart Fiedel of John Milner Associates,
a private archaeological contract firm in Alexandria, VA, published a non-refereed
"special report" entitled "Artifact Provenience at Monte Verde:
Confusion and Contradiction" in the October 1999 issue of Scientific
American Discovering Archaeology (no longer available online). This site,
"On Monte Verde: Fiedel's Confusions and Misrepresentations", was
developed as a way to address and respond to Fiedel's allegations and "factual
& interpretive mistakes."
I, Rigoberta Menchú:
Academia's Lust for Lies and
Disregard for Truth
http://216.247.220.66/archives/academia/leo1-20-99.htm
A number of professors do not care that several sections of the book, I,
Rigoberta Menchú, are untrue and continue to teach it in their classes.
John Leo discusses this and other issues surrounding this controversial publication
in this article from the January 19, 1999 issue of the Seattle Times.
Leo also examines research by David Stoll, a Middlebury College anthropologist
who interviewed 120 people in Menchú's Guatemalan hometown, and who published
his findings in the book entitled Rigoberta Menchú and the Story of
All Guatemalans.
I, Rigoberta Menchú
http://www.wmich.edu/dialogues/texts/irigobertamenchu.html
Lynnette Grate, Post Colonial Literature
at Western Michigan University, created this page that outlines the Menchú
story. Background information, dialogues, notes, historical background of Guatemala
and additional research links are provided.
I, Rigoberta Menchú?
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/hopscotch/v001/1.3liano.pdf
David Stoll, an anthropologist
and author of Rigoberta Menchú and the Story of All Poor Guatemalans,
argues that Rigoberta Menchú deliberately "distorted" facts
in her 1983 memoir I, Rigoberta Menchú. Dante Liano examines Stoll's
allegations and discusses the details surrounding this scandal in this article
from the 1999 issue of Hopscotch.
I, Rigoberta Menchú Debate
http://chronicle.com/colloquy/99/menchu/re.htm
The Chronicle
of Higher Education set up an online discussion forum to address
the issue of whether or not Rigoberta Menchú's autobiography should
continue to be taught in college courses.
Salon Right On! I, Rigoberta
Menchú, Liar
http://www.salon.com/col/horo/1999/01/11horo.html
David Horowitz published this article in Salon about the Rigoberta Menchú
controversy.
More information about the Rigoberta Menchú controversy can be found at:
Untruth in Academe
http://www.theamericanenterprise.org/taemj99n.htm
Kenneth Lee, a Harvard law student,
discusses the Rigoberta Menchú controversy and examines what seems
to be a growing trend of academic misconduct in this May/June 1999 issue of
The American Enterprise Online.
A Battle Over Bones
http://www.archaeology.org/9701/etc/specialreport.html
Andrew Slayman discusses the discovery of the Kennewick Man and the observations
made from examinations of the skeleton in this January/February 1997 article
from Archaeology. The controversy surrounding the Kennewick Man and
Native American claims to the remains are also addressed. Links to related
stories on this issue are also provided.
Additional articles and updates by Slayman and others published in Archaeology can be found at http://www.archaeology.org/online/news/kennewick.html.
Kennewick Man
http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/kennewick
In July, 1996, Kennewick Man was found in the Kennewick, WA area, and the Army
Corps of Engineers (COE) became the agency responsible for determining what
would be done with the remains. Even though the COE followed the guidelines
of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), this
agency's actions were challenged in Federal court. The U. S. Department of the
Interior (DOI) and the National Park Service agreed to help the COE. This site
provides numerous links from reports and letters that outline the work being
done by the DOI on this issue.
The Kennewick Man Case
http://www.nas.org/publications/sci_newslist/7_1/d_kennewick_artic.htm
Glynn Custred from California State University-Hayward believes that the Kennewick
Man does not physically resemble any living Indian populations and indicates
that the remains should not have been returned to tribal leaders. Custred states
in this November 2002 issue of Science Insights that Indian activists
have prevented further investigations into theories that the first Americans
arrived by boat 40,000 years ago rather than through Siberia. This article discusses
this issue and examines the political considerations affecting research on the
Kennewick Man.
Kennewick Man--News and Information:
Or How I Learned to Hate 60 Minutes
http://archaeology.about.com/blkennewick.htm
On October 31, 1998, the CBS program
60 Minutes aired a 12 minute piece on the Kennewick Man. Those who saw
the program were not happy with the errors and misconceptions propagated about
the Kennewick Man burial. K. Kris Hirst, a project archaeologist at Louis Berger
Associates, Inc., compiled the resources found at this site to provide a better
understanding about the Kennewick Man and about the controversy that surrounds
this issue. Hirst provides a list of columns, bibliographies, Web resources
and other materials pertaining to the Kennewick Man.
Kennewick Man News Update
http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/kmanupdate.html
This site provides information on the government's findings regarding Kennewick
Man. Recent discoveries, data and additional resources on this topic are also
presented.
Kennewick Man, Northern Clans,
Northern Traces
http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/kennewick_man.html
When Kennewick Man was discovered in 1996, Dr. James Chatters, the owner of
Applied Paleoscience, was called in to conduct skeletal forensics and recover
much of the skeleton. In this article, Dr. Chatters addresses his observations
at the Kennewick site.
News from the Confederated Umatilla
Journal, Issues, News Releases
http://www.umatilla.nsn.us/activity.html
Links to press statements, position papers, and articles about the Kennewick
Man are available at this site. Information about tribal gaming and salmon restoration
are also provided.
Oregon Live: Kennewick Man
http://www.oregonlive.com/special/kman
Oregon Live is a site affiliated with the newspapers The Oregonian
and The Hillsboro Argus. One section of this site is devoted to articles
on the Kennewick Man.
Scientists May Study Ancient Skeleton
Court Says, Rejecting Appeals from Government and 5 Tribes (must be subscribed
to The Chronicle of Higher Education to access)
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/02/2004020602n.htm
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled on Wednesday, February
4, 2004 that scientists should be allowed to study the remains known as Kennewick
Man. The ruling also stated that tribes seeking to use the Native American Graves
and Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA) must prove they are "directly
affiliated" with the remains. Background information about the Kennewick
Man, and additional details about the Ninth Circuit's ruling can be found in
this February 6, 2004 article published in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Tri-City Herald's Kennewick
Man Virtual Interpretive Center
http://www.kennewick-man.com
This site is an online archive of the articles the Tri-City Herald has
written about the Kennewick Man since its discovery in 1996. Photos of the Kennewick
Man site are also provided.
One of the most comprehensive collections of news stories about the Kennewick Man issue can be found at the Tri-City Herald's site at http://www.kennewick-man.com/news/index.html.
**For related information on Kennewick Man, see the Repatriation and NAGPRA section.**
Mead-Freeman:
Margaret Mead, Derek Freeman,
and the Issue of Evolution
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m2843/n6_v22/21275523/print.jhtml
Did Margaret Mead favor an evolutionary approach, or was Derek Freeman correct
in his argument that she was antievolutionary? Paul Shankman, an associate professor
of anthropology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, compares and contrasts
the positions and arguments by both Mead and Freeman in this article from the
November-December 1998 issue of The Skeptical Inquirer.
The Mead-Freeman Controversy
in Review
http://courses.brown.edu/William_Beeman-AN0196_F01/sassigadd2.pdf
James E. Côté, a professor in the Department of Sociology at
the University of Western Ontario, examines the controversy that began in
the 1980s with the publication of Derek Freeman's book Margaret Mead and
Samoa: The Making and Unmaking of an Anthropological Myth. In this 1983
book, Freeman argued that Mead's conclusions about Samoan adolescence and
Samoan culture were wrong. This article was the lead entry in the October
2000 issue of the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
Other articles addressing the Mead-Freeman saga have also been published in the October 2000 issue of the Journal of Youth and Adolescence and include the following:
The Mead-Freeman Debate
http://pages.slc.edu/~cfraver/directory/firstpage.htm
This page outlines the Mead-Freeman controversy, and provides links to Mead's
Coming of Age in Samoa, as well as Freeman's attack on Mead's findings.
Other information including the political climate during Mead's and Freeman's
works are also discussed.
Anthropologist at German University
Resigns Amid Allegations that He Falsified Data (must be subscribed to the
Chronicle of Higher Education to access)
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2005/02/2005022502n.htm
An investigation conducted by the University of Frankfurt (German) found that
one of its anthropology professors "falsified data, plagiarized the work
of his peers, and attempted to sell ape skulls belonging to the university."
Reiner Protsch von Zieten's resignation went into effect at the beginning of
February, weeks before the university's commission announced its findings. This
February 25, 2005 article from the Chronicle of Higher Education examine
the events that sparked the investigation, reaction from colleagues, and other
actions that may be taken against Protsch von Zieten.
Leading Chinese Educator Accused
of Plagiarism (free registration to the Nando Times is required to
access)
http://www.nando.net/entertainment/story/221500p-2139687c.html
The Nando Times published this article in January 17, 2002 about Wang
Mingming, a professor at Peking University who was accused of plagiarizing a
1987 edition of Cultural Anthropology.
Other articles on the Dr. Wang plagiarism controversy include the following:
Academic Circles Buzz Over Peking
University Plagiarism Case
http://www.china.org.cn/English/2002/Feb/27368.htm
In February 2002, the Chinese news site, china.org.cn, posted an article about
the issues surrounding Dr. Wang. Information about Dr. Wang being deprived
of his academic posts can be found at http://www.china.org.cn/English/2002/Jan/25360.htm.
To Catch a Thief
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/worldwide/story/0,9959,639421,00.html
David Cohen discusses various plagiarism scandals, including the one involving
Dr. Wang, in this January 25, 2002 article from the Guardian Unlimited.
Additional links to sites addressing the issue of plagiarism are provided
at the end of this article.
Plagiarism and Inappropriate
Collaboration
http://cisw.cla.umn.edu/plagiarism/faculty/inappropriate.html
Eugene Ogan, an emeritus professor in the Department of Anthropology at the
University of Minnesota, developed this section of the plagiarism site, "Plagiarism:
Definitions, Diagnoses, Preventions, and Cures for Students and Faculty at the
University of Minnesota." Links to strategies for avoiding and preventing
plagiarism plus other helpful resources are also provided.
NAGPRA: Native American Grave
Protection and Repatriation Act 1990
http://archnet.asu.edu/archnet/topical/crm/usdocs/nagpra14.htm
This site has outlined the Act by dividing it into 13 separate sections. Information
on topics like illegal trafficking, inventory for human remains, penalties
and changes in existing laws are included.
NAGPRA is Forever: Osteology
and the Repatriation of Skeletons
http://anthro.annualreviews.org/cgi/content/full/25/1/81
This article examines the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation
Act (NAGPRA) and explores the possibility of forming a partnership between
Native Americans and osteologists.
NAGPRA Legal Mandates Native
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq
http://www.cast.uark.edu/other/nps/nagpra/nagpra.dat/lgm003.html
The full text of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA) can be found at this site.
Native Americans and the Practice
of Archaeology
http://anthro.annualreviews.org/cgi/content/full/25/1/63
In the past, Native Americans have criticized the way archaeology has been conducted,
and the NAGPRA of 1990 was drafted in response to that criticism. This article
addresses the way both archaeologists and Native Americans have responded, changed
and sometimes worked together as a result of this Act.
Repatriation and Reburial Information
http://www.uiowa.edu/~anthro/reburial/repat.htm#Case%20Studies
Sources addressing issues related to the ethical treatment of the dead by archaeologists,
physical anthropologist and museums can be found at this site. Case studies,
ethics codes, state laws and more are also available.
Repatriation and Treatment of
the Dead: World Archaeological Congress
(WAC)
http://www.wac.uct.ac.za/archive/archive.asp?category=3
Links to codes of ethics as they relate to indigenous peoples, the Vermilion
Accord on Human Rights, papers presented at WAC congresses & intecongresses
plus other materials can be found at this World Archaeological Congress site.
Repatriation Issues
http://www.saa.org/Repatriation/index.html
The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) has pulled together a collection
of recent announcements pertaining to the issue of repatriation. A link to the
SAA Statement Concerning the Treatment of Human Remains is available at this
site and can also be found at http://www.saa.org/Repatriation/repat_policy.html.
**For related information on Repatriation and NAGPRA, see the Kennewick Man section.**
Yanomami Controversy:
Academic Scandal in the Internet
Age
http://chronicle.com/free/v47/i18/18a01401.htm
In the summer of 2000, Terence Turner and Leslie E. Sponsel, former leaders
of the American Anthropological Association's (AAA) human-rights and ethics
committees received proofs of Patrick Tierney's book, Darkness in El Dorado.
Confident that this book would be highly controversial in the academe arena,
the two sent out an e-mail "warning" to the AAA's top officers.
Their e-mail notice sparked an online debate that was completely unexpected,
and this January 12, 2001 article from The Chronicle of Higher Education
describes how the Internet proved to be an ideal forum for this anthropological
debate.
American Anthropologists Criticized
for Keeping Yanomami Blood Samples (must be subscribed to The Chronicle
of Higher Education to access)
http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/11/2002112502n.htm
Blood samples taken from the Yanomami people in 1968 are still being held in
American labs, and many Yanomami want the samples returned to their communities.
The fate of these samples and what this may mean for field ethics is discussed
in this November 25, 2002 article from The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Darkness in El Dorado
http://www.tamu.edu/anthropology/Neel.html
This Texas A & M site has numerous links articles and reports about the
Yanomami controversy. It is often cited on other Web pages that discuss this
issue.
Doug's Anthropological Niche
Darkness in El Dorado Information
http://www.anth.uconn.edu/gradstudents/dhume/darkness_in_el_dorado/index.htm
Doug Hume, a University of Connecticut graduate student in anthropology, developed
this site. Information about the Yanomami issue is posted as it becomes available.
Scandal in the Amazon
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0204/q_n_a.html
Scott Wallace, a writer and TV producer, traveled into the Venezuela rainforests
to explore the Yanomami controversy for his April 2002 article for Adventure
entitled, "Napoleon in Exile." This Q & A interview with Wallace
addresses some of the things found when he traveled to this area and met the
people who are embroiled in this anthropological controversy.
Summary of the AAA's El Dorado
Task Force Report
http://www.publicanthropology.org/ElDoradoTaskForce/Summary(Report&Comments).htm
The organization, Public Anthropology, began an Ethics Initiative in response
to the Yanomami controversy with the hope that the AAA Code of Ethics would
be revised.
The Yanomami Crisis in Anthropology
http://www.csudh.edu/dearhabermas/yanomami01.htm
Jeanne Curran and Susan Takata have developed an online teaching and review
essay on the Yanomami crisis. Links, related links and "exam" questions
are provided.
Yanomamö - Book States Anthropologist
Caused Epidemic
http://www.wadsworth.com/anthropology_d/special_features/news/cultanthro/epidemic.html
Links to 15 different news articles
that track the Yanomamö controversy are available at this site. Articles
starting with the first pre-publication leaks of the book Darkness in El
Dorado by Patrick Tierney through special sessions held at the American
Anthropological Association meeting are included.
Other Ethical Issues in Anthropology:
The AAA and the CIAAncient Art at Met Raises Old
Ethical Questions
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/02/international/middleeast/02ANTI.html?pagewanted=1&th
An exhibit currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum contains pieces with
unknown pasts, and that is bringing concerns that surround stolen antiquities
to the surface. In the "Art of the First Cities" show, the Naram-Sin
piece is one of at least eight objects that has no clear record as to how it
was acquired, and the debate regarding whether or not it is ethical to buy,
show or publish scholarly articles on these "orphan objects" has moved
into the pubic arena due to the events at the Iraq Museum. Points made by the
collector, the scholars, and the curator are discussed in this article from
the August 2, 2003 edition of The New York Times.
Anthropologists Apologize to Lumads
http://www.mindanews.com/others/arts-culture/anthro.html
Datu Al Saliling of the Arumanen-Manobo in North Cotabato made a comment regarding
the attitudes of researchers and how some of them look down on the Lumads as
"uneducated." In response to those comments, Professor Leonardo Estracio,
President of UGAT, the Anthropology Association of the Philippines, made a formal
admission of guilt and a public apology to the Lumads at the UGAT 24th National
Conference in April 2002.
Anthropologists as Spies
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20001120&s=price
"Anthropologists as Spies" discusses the allegations stated in a letter
written by Frank Boas and published in The Nation in 1919. Boas' letter
accuses 4 unnamed American anthropologists of conducting espionage in Central
American during World War I.
Anthropology in the News
http://www.tamu.edu/anthropology/news.html
This very popular site has links to anthropology articles that appear in the
news. General anthropological news items, as well as articles addressing controversial
topics are provided.
Apes Nest Controversy
http://home.worldcom.ch/~negenter/00AA2ApesNestContro_01.html
"Apes Nest Controversy" is a reply to the rather "sensational"
report, "Did the First Hominids Build Nests?" by Jordi Sabater Pi
et al that appeared in a 1997 issue of Current Anthropology.
Archaeologist
Faked Important Discovery
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2000/1107/1
Shinichi Fujimura, deputy director of the private Tohoku Paleolithic Cultural
Research Institute, admitted to planting primitive stone tools at a dig so he
could get credit for discovering the oldest tools in Japan. This article posted
in the November 7, 2000 issue of ScienceNOW details how this case of
misconduct was uncovered and what it means to others involved in the dig.
Archaeologists and the Looting
Trade
http://www.linguafranca.com/9805/dorfman.html
Issues surrounding a Maya collection at the museum of Fine Arts in Boston are
discussed in this article that appeared in the May 1998 issue of Lingua Franca.
The Boston Globe deemed it to be a "questionable collection."
**The online version of Lingua Franca has been suspended. This publication has been purchased by The Chronicle of Higher Education.**
Archaeology MagazineCannibalism Controversy
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/history_culture/cannibalism.html
Some members of the Hopi Indians in Arizona are convinced that their ancestors,
the Anasazi, were not cannibals as some researchers believe. This article presents
a new theory offered by some Hopi Indians.
Cave Looter Allegedly Solicits
Murder
http://www.archaeology.org/magazine.php?page=online/features/nevadacave/index
In 1980, Jack Lee Harelson, a former insurance agent, first began illegally
excavating Elephant Mountain Cave, located in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.
Harelson and his wife uncovered numerous artifacts and remains on this site
owned by the government. Even after a conviction in 1996 for corpse abuse and
possession of stolen property, Harelson continued his illegal activities. This
article from the January 27, 2003 issue of Archaeology, describes Harelson’s
latest infraction and discusses other “mysteries” that may be solved
due to his arrest.
Conflicting Concerns and Ideas
About Northern Research
http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/~agraham/research1.htm
Amanda Graham and her colleague, Professor Jim McDonald, volunteered to revise
the Association of Canadian University for Northern Studies' Ethical Principles
for the Conduct of Research in the North. This page lists the ethical concerns
and issues that surfaced during this revision process.
Crisis at the Smithsonian
http://www.archaeology.org/magazine.php?page=online/features/smithsonian/index
Jasmin Chua, a graduate student in NYU's science and environmental reporting
program, discusses some of the controversies surrounding the Smithsonian's Secretary,
Lawrence Small, in this article from the September 19, 2002 issue of Archaeology.
Small has been accused of transgressions ranging from selling the Smithsonian
name to the highest bidder to closing certain research facilities. Other investigations
about some of Small's personal collections have also been under investigation.
A timeline of events and character sketches of some of the key players involved
in this issue are also included.
Crossing the Line (must
be subscribed to The Chronicle of Higher Education to access)
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i09/09a00801.htm
Is it acceptable for an anthropologist studying heroin use to use Federal grant
funds to purchase and use the illegal drug in order to understand his subjects?
This article that appeared in the October 25, 2002 issue of The Chronicle
of Higher Education examines what happened when Ansley Hamid, a professor
at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (NY) was accused of misusing funds and
drugs.
Debates in Anthropology
http://www.ssc.uwo.ca/anthropology/jorgensen/debates_01s.htm
Links to different issues being discussed in the field of anthropology, like
the Kennewick Man and the Darkness in El Dorado, can be found at this
site.
Ethical Perspectives in Anthropology:
The Advantage of Competing Viewpoints
http://www.focusanthro.org/ethical_perspectives.htm#The
Laura Moran, Ithaca College, examines in this paper, published in 2002, ethical
dilemmas faced by anthropologists conducting research in the field. Moran provides
a historical overview of ethical concerns that have surfaced over the years
for anthropologists and addresses the role ethics played in four landmark cases.
She also explores three ethical perspectives: cultural relativism; scientific
objectivity; and human rights activism and discusses ways those perspectives
can be integrated into the profession.
Ethics in Archaeology: An American
Perspective
http://almashriq.hiof.no/ddc/projects/archaeology/berytus-back/berytus39/ethics/index.html
This article by Martha Sharp Joukowsky and published in a 1991 issue of Berytus,
examines the challenges facing American archaeologists.
Ethics
in Archaeology, Can You Dig It?
http://www.economist.com/science/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1056932
Ethical concerns are gaining importance
in the field of archaeology. This article from the March 28, 2002 issue of The
Economist discusses ethical concerns such as how to treat remains, who owns
the artifacts and how the site should be preserved.
Going Head-to-Head Over Boas's
Data
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5595/942b
Frank Boas, the father of American anthropology, studied cranial measurements
of European immigrants and their offspring in the early 1900s to determine trends
in cranial shapes. Researchers, like Clarence C. Gravalee from the University
of Michigan (Ann Arbor) believe Boas got it right, while others, like Corey
Sparks, Penn State University (University Park) disagree. This article from
the November 1, 2002 issue of Science Magazine discusses the ongoing
debate about the roles of genetics, environment and race.
How Anthropology Should Respond
to an Ethical Crisis
http://chronicle.com/free/v47/i06/06b02401.htm
This opinion piece that appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education
suggests that anthropological crises, such as the dealing with the Yanomami,
should be seen as an opportunity to foster discussions about ethics in anthropology.
Human Genome Diversity Project
http://www.stanford.edu/group/morrinst/hgdp.html
This international project consists of anthropologists, geneticists, doctors,
linguists and others. It is still in the planning stages, but the goal is to
document the "genetic variation of the human species." A FAQ section
is provided at http://www.stanford.edu/group/morrinst/hgdp/faq.html.
Israel: Icon Under Fire
(must be subscribed to The Chronicle of Higher Education to access)
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i15/15a01601.htm
Nachman Ben-Yehuda, a sociologist and dean of the faculty of social sciences
at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has written a controversial new book entitled
Sacrificing Truth: Archaeology and the Myth of Masada. In the 1960s,
Israel's most celebrated archaeologist, the late Yigael Yadin, conducted the
"most massive" archaeological excavation ever attempted in Israel.
Ben-Yehuda's book accuses Yadin of misconduct in researching Masada, but not
everyone agrees. This December 6, 2002 article from The Chronicle of Higher
Education provides some historical background on Masada and discusses the
controversy behind the research on the second most visited site in Israel.
Additional information about Masada can be found at the following sites:
Israeli
Academic and 4 Others are Accused of Forging Inscriptions on Antiquities (must
be subscribed to the Chronicle of Higher Education to access)
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2005/01/2005010402n.htm
Five members of an alleged antiquities forgery ring were indicted last week.
A few years ago, the Israeli Antiquities Authority established a committee to
investigate several objects that were reported to date back to the Israelite
period, and the recent indictments stemmed from this investigation. The effect
this "exposure" on areas of historical and archaeological research,
and additional information about this case can be found in the January 4, 2005
issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Looting
and Theft of Cultural Property
http://www.getty.edu/conservation/resources/newsletter/15_1/feature1_6.html
Karen D. Vitelli, a professor of anthropology
at Indiana University who has also served as chair of the Ethics Committee of
the Society for American Archaeology, addresses the efforts of archaeologists
to prevent or at least reduce the instances of looting. Her discussion of these
efforts range from strongly encouraging collectors not to purchase stolen pieces
to changing the way archaeology is taught in academic institutions. In this
Getty Conservation Institute Newsletter from the Spring of 2000, Vitelli
also points out the negative and positive ramifications of these efforts and
whether or not these approaches to preserving cultural heritage are effective.
Paluxy Dinosaur-Man Track Controversy
http://members.aol.com/paluxy2/paluxy.htm
Claims were made of "giant man tracks" occurring along side of dinosaur
tracks in limestone river beds near Glen Rose, Texas. This site has a collection
of articles about the history and controversy surrounding this claim, as well
as evidence about other out-of-order fossil and artifact findings.
Penn Anthropologist Fights Subpoenas
for Field Notes Regarding Artificial Heart Surgery She Observed (must be
subscribed to The Chronicle of Higher Education to access)
http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/03/2003030504n.htm
Sheldon Zink, director of the program for transplant policy and ethics at the
University of Pennsylvania's Center for Bioethics is fighting a lawsuit that
may force her to turn over her field notes. Zink observed the transplant operations
of the AbioCor heart on a 51 year old patient, and she says she would rather
go to jail than turn over her notes. Details of the lawsuit and Zink's role
in it are discussed in this article from the March 5, 2003 issue of The Chronicle
of Higher Education.
An update on the Zink case can be
found in this May 16, 2003 Chronicle of Higher Education article entitled,
"When Should a Scholar's Notes Be Confidential?". It can be found
at http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i36/36a01001.htm.
Saga of the Persian Princess
http://www.archaeology.org/0101/etc/persia.html
At one point in time, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan's Taliban regime were all
trying to claim a 2600 year old mummified Persian Princess. The problem discussed
in this article from the January/February 2001 issue of Archaeology is
that this princess has been shown to be a fraud.
Shaming of the Anthropologist:
Ethical Dilemmas During and in the Aftermath of the Fieldwork Process
http://www.anthropologymatters.com/onlinejournal/RachelBurr.html
Rachel Burr, an instructor at the Open University who has a PhD in the anthropology
of childhood, presents her Vietnam research experiences in this Anthropology
Matters article. The children Burr studied were ones who were at risk of
contracting the AIDS virus, and who tested positive for HIV after the fieldwork
was completed. Burr examines ethical situations anthropologists face in the
field and discusses how involved researchers should be in lives of the people
the study and observe.
Spies Like Us: When Sociologists
Deceive their Subjects
http://www.linguafranca.com/9711/9711.allen.html
This article that appeared in the November 1997 issue of Lingua Franca
examines what happened when University of South Florida sociologist, Carolyn
Ellis, became a traitor in the eyes of the Guinea families she researched.
**The online version of Lingua Franca has been suspended. This publication has been purchased by The Chronicle of Higher Education.**
Thomas N. Headland Controversies
http://www.sil.org/~headlandt/controv.htm
Links to various anthropological controversies, like the hunter-gatherer revisionist
debate, can be found at this site.
Alaska Anthropological Association,
Alaska Anthropology Links
http://www.alaska.net/~oha/aaa/AAALINKS.HTM
The Alaska Anthropological Association has developed a site with links to
sources about anthropology in Alaska.
Anthropology Ethics & Fieldwork
http://www.library.adelaide.edu.au/guide/soc/anthro/ethics.html
Adelaide University Library (Australia) has put together a collection of print
and online resources on ethical issues for anthropologists and fieldwork &
research techniques.
Anthropology, Genetic Diversity,
and Ethics
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/21st/projects/GeneticDiversity/friedlae.html
A workshop entitled "Anthropology, Genetic Diversity, and Ethics"
was held in 1999 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This particular
site is just one of the many talks given at that conference.
Binghamton Univ. Libraries Anthropology
Ethics & Responsibility
http://library.lib.binghamton.edu/subjects/anthro/ethics.html
The Binghamton University Library (New York) has an "Ethics & Responsibility"
site with numerous links to professional ethics, academic responsibility, social
responsibility & public policy and related online publications.
Ethics and the Archaeologist
http://archaeology.about.com/cs/ethics/index.htm?terms=ethics
K. Kris Hirst, a project archaeologist at Louis Berger Associates, Inc., has
selected a diverse collection of archaeology resources for her "Ethics
and the Archaeologist" site. Materials on ethics, preservation, controversies
and more are available.
Ethics in Anthropology: Public
Presentation of Anthropological Material
http://www.d.umn.edu/~lbelote/Senior_Seminar/PublicAnth-ethics_in_anthropology.htm
A Senior Seminar class at the University of Minnesota-Duluth set out to "examine
the ethical issues involved in the presentation of anthropological material
to the public, and to consider the role of public activism by anthropologists."
These students examined codes of ethics from various anthropology associations
& organizations, reviewed the literature on this topic, and interviewed
anthropologists. This document is a culmination of their findings.
European Archaeological Heritage
Convention
http://fletcher.tufts.edu/multi/www/bh997.html
This document outlines the principles agreed to by the member States of the
Council of Europe and the other States of the European Cultural Convention.
Legal Background of Archeological
Resources Protection
http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/PUBS/TECHBR/tch11a.htm
Despite numerous laws passed by various agencies, looting continues to be
a problem. This online document outlines the current civil and criminal actions
that have been taken since the passage of the Archaeological Resources Protection
Act (ARPA), potential areas of application for ARPA, other archaeological
resource protection rules and regulations and case patterns.
Overview of Conservation in Archaeology;
Basic Conservation Procedures
http://nautarch.tamu.edu/class/anth605/File1.htm
This overview was one segment of the conservation materials initially posted
in the spring semester of 1998 for use by students enrolled in the Texas A &
M class, “Conservation of Cultural Resources.” Issues addressed include
conservation ethics as well as basic procedures, storage of materials and other
treatment recommendations.
Training Students in Archaeological
Ethics
http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/saa/lynstep.html
In the past, most archaeology students worked in university departments and
learned the skills that would be important to their future as a professor. Ethics
was often learned informally, often from their peers. Today, those in archaeology
have other types of employment options, and are sometimes employed outside the
university setting. This paper by Mark Lynott and Vincas P. Steponatis was prepared
for the SAA workshop on "Enhancing Undergraduate and Graduate Education
and Training in Public Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management" in
February 1998. It addresses the ethical gray areas that exist in archaeology
and argues for the development & implementation of formal ethics training
programs.
Useful Anthropology Resources:
Methods & Ethics
http://www4.gvsu.edu/anthropology/links.html#Methods
Russell Rhoads, a sociocultural anthropologist at Grand Valley State University
(Michigan), has compiled a list of links in areas, such as Medical Anthropology,
Archaeology, and Indigenous Peoples. A section on Methods/Ethics is also included.
WWW Virtual Library Anthropology
General Ethics
http://vlib.anthrotech.com/General/Ethics
The WWW Virtual Library has an Anthropology section that includes links to
ethics materials.
Bioethics. See also the Biotechnology Web Page (UIUC)
Social Science Ethics: A Bibliography
Created by Sharon
Stoerger MLS, MBA
©September 30, 2002
Updated February 26, 2005