Paper short abstract

Reflections on the anthropology A-level as a case study in engagement with UK public institutions.

Paper long abstract

The history of the RAI's project to introduce anthropology into pre-University curricula in the UK (and specifically, to establish a new GCE Advanced Level qualification in anthropology) has been recounted and analysed in a number of previous publications; and is addressed elsewhere in this panel. In this paper, I focus on the processes of engagement with multiple audiences at many levels of academic content, practice, and bureaucratic structure. Looking beyond the specificity of anthropology in UK education, I suggest how the discipline might, without compromising the contextuality and respect for complexity that are its lifeblood, connect with many non-specialist audiences and publics - and how such engagement might in turn reflect back onto anthropology as a discipline. I argue that, internationally as well as in the UK, scholarly associations are particularly well-placed to act as platforms for such broader communication and engagement.