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knowledge and power: anthropology, policy research, and the green revolution 1
Author(s) -
MILLER FRANK C.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
american ethnologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.875
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1548-1425
pISSN - 0094-0496
DOI - 10.1525/ae.1977.4.1.02a00110
Subject(s) - ideal (ethics) , sociology , green revolution , power (physics) , cultural revolution , third world , environmental ethics , anthropology , social science , political science , economics , history , law , development economics , philosophy , politics , archaeology , physics , quantum mechanics , agriculture
The “Green Revolution” would seem to be an ideal topic for research by economic anthropologists and cultural ecologists, yet they have virtually ignored it. A classical example of the hazards in technological solutions to human problems, it has had a great impact, sometimes favorable but more often not, on peasants in some Third World nations. This paper assesses the new technology and associated economic constraints of the “Green Revolution” and criticizes the development strategies that have guided the introduction of the new technology. The sources of the anthropological disinterest are considered, and the potential role of anthropology in technology assessment is discussed.