Anthropology Experts Look At Past, Future of Their Discipline

Prominent academic and practicing anthropologists shared their expertise, insights and knowledge in an educational day held on April 9, 2016.The event, organized by the Department of Social and Behavioral Science at Birzeit University in collaboration with the Insanyat initiative, considered the past impact and future directions of anthropological knowledge, seeking to advance a more holistic framework for human-centered studies and discover opportunities for refining the field in Palestine.The day offered numerous presentations and discussions exploring anthropology as an independent discipline. Anthropologists Sharif Kanaaneh, Rema Hammami, Khalil Nakhleh and Salim Tamari spoke at the event, and the sessions were facilitated by Department of Social and Behavioral Science faculty member Ala’ Alazzeh and Sociology and Anthropology professor Khalid Furnay.“Learning from Palestine’s most significant anthropologists is a significant contribution to the development of anthropological practices,” said Department of Social and Behavioral Science Hassan chair Ladadwa said. “Our goal is to give wider scope to discovery, learning and engagement in the study of humanity at Birzeit University. By drawing from the most prominent anthropologists in Palestine and benefiting from the rich store of knowledge about humans, we aim to enhance our efforts to face the global grand challenges in this discipline.”Nisreen Mazzawi, from the Insanyat initiative, posed the goal as “a more holistic framing for human-centered knowledge, ideally keeping our attention on the user as the key unity of analysis at every stage.”