The Five Fields of Anthropology

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Ethics in Anthropology

The concern for ethics in anthropological study has developed and grown along with the discipline. It is focused on respect for those people and cultures that have traditionally been the subject of research. Each of the five fields has its own unique concerns, from issues regarging the treatment of archaeological artifacts and sites, to matters of obligations between field researchers and the peoples they study.

In the late 1960's and early 1970's these concerns emerged in a dramatic way for the discipline, and led to the formal adoption of a professional charter of ethical standards by members of the American Anthropological Association (AAA). (This is the primary professional organzation for anthropologists today.)

The menu items below take you to several key sources from the AAA, which recount a brief history of the discipline's concerns around issues of ethics, and provide texts of current statements and standards from the profession.

A History of Ethical Questions in Anthropology
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American Anthropological Association Resources on Ethics

American Anthropological Association "Statements of Ethics"

American Anthropological Association "Code of Ethics"