Creating Space for the Public in Anthropology
Faculty Mentor
Julia Smith
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 11:30 AM
End Date
4-14-2026 1:30 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Anthropology
Abstract
This ongoing collaborative research project between Grace Tucker and Madison Joseph aims to evaluate an overlooked gap of knowledge and linguistic understanding concerning how anthropological findings are presented to both disciplinary experts and the general public. We will examine ways to improve public anthropology through improving our understanding of how to utilize everyday speech and specialist jargon simultaneously in the field. This project will include an extensive literature review of educational barriers and language use in anthropological research to identify solutions to remedy accessibility to, and dissemination of, these findings. We argue that museums and libraries are designed with the intention of making complex information accessible to the average person, and seek to understand their approach and apply it to the way anthropology makes its findings constructive. Social Anthropologist Evans-Pritchard argued that the specialized jargon we utilize within the field can hinder the ability to bridge the knowledge back to the understanding of the general public. This dilemma of how we should communicate anthropological information broadly is a point of discussion and conflict within the discipline. This leads us to conclude that there is a need for revision of how anthropologists present their research to the public.
Recommended Citation
Joseph, Madison and Tucker, Grace, "Creating Space for the Public in Anthropology" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 11.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p2_2026/11
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Creating Space for the Public in Anthropology
PUB NCR
This ongoing collaborative research project between Grace Tucker and Madison Joseph aims to evaluate an overlooked gap of knowledge and linguistic understanding concerning how anthropological findings are presented to both disciplinary experts and the general public. We will examine ways to improve public anthropology through improving our understanding of how to utilize everyday speech and specialist jargon simultaneously in the field. This project will include an extensive literature review of educational barriers and language use in anthropological research to identify solutions to remedy accessibility to, and dissemination of, these findings. We argue that museums and libraries are designed with the intention of making complex information accessible to the average person, and seek to understand their approach and apply it to the way anthropology makes its findings constructive. Social Anthropologist Evans-Pritchard argued that the specialized jargon we utilize within the field can hinder the ability to bridge the knowledge back to the understanding of the general public. This dilemma of how we should communicate anthropological information broadly is a point of discussion and conflict within the discipline. This leads us to conclude that there is a need for revision of how anthropologists present their research to the public.
