Paper short abstract:

For anthropology, public engagement can come with strings attached, such as expectations of having straightforward answers to complicated questions, or applicable solutions to complex social problems. This paper critiques such forms of science popularisation, offering its own.

Paper long abstract:

Many qualitative researchers strive for their work to address pressing social matters. Conducting such studies comes with additional expectations, ones that are often beyond the methodological or analytical abilities of the researchers. By default, qualitative scientists are not equipped to provide simple, straightforward answers to the in-depth questions of “why” and “how” we ask. Neither they can put together applicable solutions, even when having a deep understanding of the studied social phenomena. Yet, this is the reality of working in the public eye, which requires the popularization of research outcomes beyond scientific journals, at the very least.

Popularization of science in the media, but also other forms of public employment of the study’s results, often leads to simplification of knowledge acquired through a critical, anthropological lens. No journalist and no policymaker wants to hear that “it is complicated” why things happen the way they do. However, qualitative researchers can diverge from the solutionist path set by other scientists. Instead, they can insist on investing their efforts into making the decision-makers and the executioners understand themselves the complex nature of the problem at hand, so they can draw their own conclusions with our help, in the spirit of a collective effort and nonhegemonic knowledge-making. In this paper, I build on my own experience and the experiences of others to propose and explore new modes of anthropological public engagement.