Applying Anthropology to Develop University-Affiliated Childcare Centers
I often tell my students that, for me, I have the best job in the world: I get to teach, which allows me to interact with bright, inquisitive minds, and discuss the most fascinating subject in the world—people! While I work at a small (approximately 3,000 students) Catholic-affiliated liberal arts university that emphasizes teaching, I also spend a portion of my time doing service for the university. Increasingly, I find myself practicing applied anthropology at the same time. Training in ethnographic methods and a grounding in social theory are precisely what makes anthropologists incredibly useful in academic education, beyond the classroom. In this article, I provide a case study illustrating the importance of applying anthropology in the service of academic institutions. In this case, I found myself as an advocate for colleagues while setting up two university-affiliated childcare facilities. Although this case study may provide a blueprint for others interested in setting up affiliations at similar institutions, I also hope that it demonstrates the possibilities for applying anthropology at work where the stakeholders include one's colleagues.