The Problem with University Affiliation: Notes from an Independent Scholar

Anthropologists today are constantly challenged to understand and navigate our relationships to others, ourselves, our contexts, and our institutions. For my part, repeatedly facing the question, “What is your affiliation?” has recently made me wonder what that particular relationship means. Recent trends suggest that most of this year’s freshly-minted anthropology Ph.D.s will take their hard-earned expertise to fields outside of academia, where it and other social science perspectives are sorely needed to address the world’s current crises. But as anthropology programs face tightening budgets, more career-oriented students, and the threat of termination, we should be asking how academic anthropologists can better recognize and draw upon all those who have trained in our field. This piece explores the effects and waning relevance of university affiliation on our discipline, at a time when we are striving to achieve greater equality, accessibility, and applicability.