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Zuckerman MK, Marklein KE, Austin RM, Hofman CA. Exercises in ethically engaged work in biological anthropology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024:e25015. [PMID: 39177071 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.25015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
An ethical paradigm shift currently taking place within biological anthropology is pushing scholars to envisage and develop paths toward more ethical futures. Drawing from case studies in our own teaching, research, and fieldwork experience, we reflect on the complex, diverse, and dynamic nature of ethical considerations in our field. We discuss the acquisition and institutional narrative of a human osteological teaching collection at the University of Louisville as an embodiment of structural apathy turned structural violence, and the need for professional guidance in the potential retirement of deceased individuals from our classrooms. In documented collections (i.e., the Robert J. Terry Collection), we share our process and scholarly reemphasis of the humanity of a deceased individual through contextualized analysis (i.e., osteobiography and archival history) and postmortem agentive acts. Lastly, we present an archeological site in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which poses ethical concerns as biocultural bioarcheologists and archeologists attempt to negotiate the possible wishes of the deceased with the cultural value of reconstructing the community's otherwise undocumented past, all amidst the immediate threat of anthropogenic climate change. We offer these exercises and discussion in ethically engaged projects transparently and with an overarching admission that none are models for replication. Rather, at various stages in our careers and engagement with ethics, we acknowledge that progress is worthwhile, albeit challenging, and that proceeding forward collectively as biological anthropologists should be deliberate, reflexive, and compassionate for deceased individuals and their descendant communities, as well as among and between colleagues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly K Zuckerman
- Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures and Cobb Institute of Archaeology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
- The Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Kathryn E Marklein
- Department of Anthropology and the Center for Archaeological and Cultural Heritage, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | | | - Courtney A Hofman
- The Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research and the Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
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Stantis C, Schaefer BJ, Correia MA, Alaica AK, Huffer D, Plomp E, Di Giusto M, Chidimuro B, Rose AK, Nayak A, Kendall EJ. Ethics and applications of isotope analysis in archaeology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024:e24992. [PMID: 38949078 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
This synthesis explores specific ethical questions that commonly arise in isotopic analysis. For more than four decades, isotope analysis has been employed in archeological studies to explore past human and animal dietary habits, mobility patterns, and the environment in which a human or animal inhabited during life. These analyses require consideration of ethical issues. While theoretical concepts are discussed, we focus on practical aspects: working with descendant communities and other rights holders, choosing methods, creating and sharing data, and working mindfully within academia. These layers of respect and care should surround our science. This paper is relevant for specialists in isotope analysis as well as those incorporating these methods into larger projects. By covering the whole of the research process, from design to output management, we appeal broadly to archaeology and provide actionable solutions that build on the discussions in the general field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Stantis
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Benjamin J Schaefer
- Department of Anthropology, Gender and Women's Studies, and Latin American and Latino Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- The Center for the Recovery and Identification of the Missing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Division of Anthropology, The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Maria Ana Correia
- Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Universidade do Algarve, Algarve, Portugal
- Laboratório de Arqueologia e Antropologia Ambiental e Evolutiva, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aleksa K Alaica
- Department of Anthropology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Damien Huffer
- Department of History, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Social Sciences, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- The Alliance to Counter Crime Online, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Esther Plomp
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Marina Di Giusto
- Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Blessing Chidimuro
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Alice K Rose
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Ayushi Nayak
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
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Marsh DE, St. Andre S, Wagner T, Bell JA. Attitudes and uses of archival materials among science-based anthropologists. ARCHIVAL SCIENCE 2023; 23:1-25. [PMID: 36785781 PMCID: PMC9909654 DOI: 10.1007/s10502-023-09411-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
While archival user studies have largely focused on humanities (and adjacent) scholars, this paper focuses on anthropologists engaged in scientific research. Based on qualitative results from an open-ended survey, we investigate how science-based anthropologists perceive and use archives in their work. We ask: How are science-based anthropologists and archaeologists reusing archival data in their research? What difficulties or barriers do they encounter in reusing archival data in scientific contexts? What attitudes or understandings about archival research are held by science-based anthropologists and archaeologists? Our findings primarily add to the body of literature about user experience in archives and more broadly to the emerging literature on archival data reuse. Major findings include (1) barriers and gatekeeping legacies that impact archival research and the ability of researchers to reuse data and (2) mixed perceptions about archives among researchers. We also discuss suggestions made by these communities of practice, and the ways that barriers to archival data reuse may stem from a lack of knowledge about core archival and information infrastructures among researcher communities. Together, this research showcases possible (re)uses of important primary source data in archives among scientific communities but highlights that barriers to access and misperceptions create a gap in exploiting that potential. We argue for a "re-imagining" of anthropological archives as relevant to contemporary communities and scientific pursuits toward a richer scientific research environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana E. Marsh
- Department of Anthropology, College of Information Studies, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
| | | | - Travis Wagner
- College of Information Studies, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
| | - Joshua A. Bell
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA
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Squires K, Roberts CA, Márquez‐Grant N. Ethical considerations and publishing in human bioarcheology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 177:615-619. [PMID: 36790756 PMCID: PMC9305442 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty Squires
- School of Security, Justice and SustainabilityStaffordshire UniversityStoke‐on‐TrentUK
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The modern Dental Cast Reference Collection from the University of Coimbra, Portugal. Ann Anat 2022; 243:151937. [PMID: 35378256 DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2022.151937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Identified skeletal and skull collections are centrepiece for research in biological anthropology. However, until recently, the same relevance has not been placed on dental cast collections. This perspective evolved, mainly, with the research on population variation and human identification through dental characteristics. While dental collections exist throughout the world, their reports and documentation are scarce in the literature. AIMS This work aims to present the new Dental Cast Reference Collection - University of Coimbra (DCRC - UC) housed in the Laboratory of Prehistory of the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Coimbra (Portugal). BASIC PROCEDURES The modern dental cast collection (DCRC - UC) was created in 2016 for teaching and research purposes. The casts were obtained from volunteers who answered a brief questionnaire (sex, age, nationality, previous orthodontic and dental data) after informed consent. MAIN FINDINGS The collection includes the dental casts of 90 adult individuals of both sexes: 69 females and 21 males. The volunteers were students, teachers and visiting researchers of the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Coimbra. Age ranges from 17 to 49 years, including individuals of Portuguese (n=79) and non-Portuguese nationality (n=11). Lastly, the strategy of the conservation and storage conditions of the casts are underlined, a vital aspect of this working collection, emphasizing its protection while also allowing it to function as a usable resource. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS Currently, the addition of new individuals to the dental cast collection is paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however the future work and expected expansion will require new logistic solutions. The DCRC - UC is an invaluable resource to both research and teaching activities.
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Spiros MC, Plemons AM, Biggs JA. Pedagogical access and ethical considerations in forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology. Sci Justice 2022; 62:708-720. [DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2022.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Passalacqua NV, Pilloud MA, Congram D. Forensic Anthropology as a Discipline. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10080691. [PMID: 34439924 PMCID: PMC8389313 DOI: 10.3390/biology10080691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Forensic anthropology in the United States is a specialization within the overall field of anthropology. Forensic anthropologists are specially educated and trained to search, recover, and examine human remains within a medicolegal context. Over time, forensic anthropology has become increasingly specialized and distinct from other specializations within anthropology. As such, we argue that forensic anthropology should be considered its own discipline, with a unique knowledge base, separate from other similar forms of anthropology, such a bioarchaeology. We argue that forensic anthropologists have unique expertise, making them the only type of anthropologist qualified to perform medicolegal examinations of human remains. Finally, we contend that to perform or represent yourself as a forensic anthropologist without the appropriate expertise is ethical misconduct. The value of this paper is that it explains the importance of expertise and knowledge, and how forensic anthropology has diverged from other specializations of anthropology enough to be considered its own discipline. Abstract This paper explores the current state of forensic anthropology in the United States as a distinct discipline. Forensic anthropology has become increasingly specialized and the need for strengthened professionalization is becoming paramount. This includes a need for clearly defined qualifications, training, standards of practice, certification processes, and ethical guidelines. Within this discussion, the concept of expertise is explored in relation to professionalization and practice, as both bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology have different areas of specialist knowledge, and therefore unique expertise. As working outside one’s area of expertise is an ethical violation, it is important for professional organizations to outline requisite qualifications, develop standards and best practice guidelines, and enforce robust preventive ethical codes in order to serve both their professional members and relevant stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas V. Passalacqua
- Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Marin A. Pilloud
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA;
| | - Derek Congram
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada;
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Broesch T, Crittenden AN, Beheim BA, Blackwell AD, Bunce JA, Colleran H, Hagel K, Kline M, McElreath R, Nelson RG, Pisor AC, Prall S, Pretelli I, Purzycki B, Quinn EA, Ross C, Scelza B, Starkweather K, Stieglitz J, Mulder MB. Navigating cross-cultural research: methodological and ethical considerations. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201245. [PMID: 32962541 PMCID: PMC7542829 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The intensifying pace of research based on cross-cultural studies in the social sciences necessitates a discussion of the unique challenges of multi-sited research. Given an increasing demand for social scientists to expand their data collection beyond WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic) populations, there is an urgent need for transdisciplinary conversations on the logistical, scientific and ethical considerations inherent to this type of scholarship. As a group of social scientists engaged in cross-cultural research in psychology and anthropology, we hope to guide prospective cross-cultural researchers through some of the complex scientific and ethical challenges involved in such work: (a) study site selection, (b) community involvement and (c) culturally appropriate research methods. We aim to shed light on some of the difficult ethical quandaries of this type of research. Our recommendation emphasizes a community-centred approach, in which the desires of the community regarding research approach and methodology, community involvement, results communication and distribution, and data sharing are held in the highest regard by the researchers. We argue that such considerations are central to scientific rigour and the foundation of the study of human behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Broesch
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, BC, Canada
| | | | - Bret A. Beheim
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Aaron D. Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - John A. Bunce
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Heidi Colleran
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- BirthRites Independent Max Planck Research Group, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kristin Hagel
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michelle Kline
- Centre for Culture and Evolution, Brunel University, London, UK
| | - Richard McElreath
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Anne C. Pisor
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Sean Prall
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, MO, USA
| | - Ilaria Pretelli
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Benjamin Purzycki
- Department of the Study of Religion, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Cody Ross
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Brooke Scelza
- Department of Anthropology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kathrine Starkweather
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Chicago, USA
| | | | - Monique Borgerhoff Mulder
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Wagner JK. Concerning data sharing in biological anthropology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 172:341-343. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K. Wagner
- Center for Translational Bioethics & Health Care Policy, Geisinger Danville Pennsylvania USA
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Abstract
The rapidly decreasing costs of generating genetic data sequencing and the ease of new DNA collection technologies have opened up new opportunities for anthropologists to conduct field-based genetic studies. An exciting aspect of this work comes from linking genetic data with the kinds of individual-level traits evolutionary anthropologists often rely on, such as those collected in long-term demographic and ethnographic studies. However, combining these two types of data raises a host of ethical questions related to the collection, analysis and reporting of such data. Here we address this conundrum by examining one particular case, the collection and analysis of paternity data. We are particularly interested in the logistics and ethics involved in genetic paternity testing in the localized settings where anthropologists often work. We discuss the particular issues related to paternity testing in these settings, including consent and disclosure, consideration of local identity and beliefs and developing a process of continued community engagement. We then present a case study of our own research in Namibia, where we developed a multi-tiered strategy for consent and community engagement, built around a double-blind procedure for data collection, analysis and reporting. Paternity testing in anthropology raises ethical and methodological issues. We summarize these and describe a novel double-blind method used in our work.
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