Why the World Needs Anthropologists

Why the World Needs Anthropologists, 2nd Edition, edited by Dan Podjed and Carla Guerrón Montero, provides an analytical framework for applying social science to pressing global issues. Published by Routledge, this 246-page volume advocates for an ethically engaged and proactive discipline that uses qualitative research methods to evaluate and solve complex societal problems.

The main coverage synthesizes key thematic domains into active professional applications. Across its chapters, the text examines ethnography, diversity research, digital anthropology, and strategic responses to societal uncertainty, organizing these core subject areas around systematic problem-solving within contemporary public contexts.

To support professional execution, each chapter incorporates a practical toolkit featuring clear recommendations formatted as direct DOs and DON'Ts. This practical learning feature assists fledgling anthropologists, established anthropologists, social scientists, and members of the general public seeking structured methods for real-world inquiry.