ANT 325 Applied Anthropology

In this course, we learn how anthropologists apply theory and methods to solve human problems. Through the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project, we practiced this approach through a hands-on research project. We solicited community feedback on plans for improving Bernadette Watkins Park and submitted our findings to the City of Newport.  Students also experienced what is required to take a community research project from conception to implementation. In the end, students gained real world experience in anthropological research and saw the importance of being active in one’s community. We would like to thank Dr. Kirsten Schwarz, Larisa Sims, Josh Tunning and Steve Mathisen from ReNewport, Ed Davis from the Westside Citizens Coalition, Chris Manning from Human Nature LLC, and Dr. Christopher Wilkey for their lending their expertise and support to our class. They truly made this project possible.

This project has given me a new outlook on community, specifically on the power that a community has. Through this project I have seen how smart, capable, and knowledgeable the community of Newport is. - Peter Duke

After completing the work for a project as important as a park, you get this sense of completion. It makes you feel like now that I have done this for the community, they have something to look forward to. They have something that will make them be able to get out of the house and enjoy a pretty spring day. Or it will be the place that their kids can grow up and play without having to worry about being too loud. It can be a spot for a community to celebrate each other.   - Regina Utz

I have enjoyed the project and learning what the community wants in the park, so my appreciation and desire to work within the community have grown. It made me realize I like working, and want to work, in my community. - Megan Vineyard

In the beginning of the project, I felt a bit out of my element. Later, I learned this was a common experience for many practicing anthropologists. The more we talked to members of the community and studied the city, the more I found myself connecting with the residents. - Denisha Burton

In being able to make an impact through anthropology, my ability to seek philanthropic and advocacy projects through an anthropological lens has become a reality, rather than an aspiration. - Sydney Johnson

One area of personal accomplishment from this project that I wasn't really expecting was the professional growth I acquired as an anthropologist. Reflecting back on the project as a whole, I have never had a chance to practically use the knowledge I have learned about ethnographic research, but being able to combine my knowledge about ethnography with the new information I learned about conducting an applied project has helped me develop skills that will be useful in the future. - Elizabeth Farrar

This project clarified the role that applied anthropology has in community development, and that is the role of an activist that amplifies the voices of the community no matter what our personal goals for a development are. In fact, it provided grounds for me to solidify my argument as to why Applied Anthropology was important for me to pursue as a career in ways that learning about isolated research projects had not. - Joshua Stephenson

I have been given the opportunity to both use my previous knowledge of anthropology in a practical sense and gain new skills that I will be able to use in future applied anthropology endeavors. In being able to make an impact through anthropology, my ability to seek philanthropic and advocacy projects through an anthropological lens has become a reality, rather than an aspiration. - Sydney Johnson

This grant will go to the City of Newport, Kentucky to implement community-identified, eco-friendly projects at Bernadette Watkins Park located at 6th and Patterson Streets. For more information about Newport Parks and Recreation, visit http://www.newportky.gov/City-Government/Parks-and-Recreation.aspx.

Read more about the Bernadette Watkins Park Feedback Project.

 

Professor Lott: We had to think creatively to do this work from a distance. A primary challenge was our inability to spend time in the community and interact with community members. Instead, we held virtual meetings with experts and community stakeholders. These turned out to be an important space for students to hear the enthusiasm in people's voices as they talked about their community and its future possibilities. In place of face-to-face interviews and participant observation, we relied on an online survey and phone interviews. While this experience was unique, students were still able to gain an appreciation for the area where we were working and to practice skills used in applied anthropology.