Paper short abstract:

Anthropological research and related work focused on Aboriginal culture in Australia has been increasingly sought as expert opinion in legal cases. The paper addresses debates about the moral standing of such work, its contributions to social theory and its practical applications.

Paper long abstract:

Over the past four decades there have been vigorous debates about the relationship between academic and applied studies in anthropology. In the Australian setting the discussion has focused particularly on the involvement of Aboriginal people in a variety of legal cases including land claims, native title, cultural heritage issues, economic development, negotiations over resource development projects and a range of criminal cases. Tensions within the discipline revolve around the posited moral standing and practical outcomes of anthropological work prepared for audiences outside the academy, encompassing the courts, community organisations, industry parties and government. The paper addresses the mix of evidence-based scholarship, critique of postcolonial society and political advocacy that currently constitues anthropological work in Australia. Case studies will inform an argument that anthropology oriented to readers other than academics has strengthened the discipline and should be promoted and defended.