Ethical Dilemmas in Human Sciences
In 2007, the American Anthropological Association called the Army’s effort to embed social scientists with combat units “an unacceptable application of anthropological expertise,” citing a moral conflict between studying groups of Iraqis or Afghans and advising troops who might end up killing them. The AAA’s own ethical code includes this paragraph.
“In research, anthropologists’ paramount responsibility is to those they study. When there is a conflict of interest, these individuals must come first. Anthropologists must do everything in their power to protect the physical, social, and psychological welfare and to honour the dignity and privacy of those studied.” Savage Minds
Background to the story here. Question: Can Human Scientist every be fully responsible for the future application of the knowledge they produce? How can we fully know the consequences or implications of the knowledge we produce in research?
