The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice: An Anthropology of Public Policy sees the community in a global and national view, raises a statement saying that society itself is policy making, and asks what societies can achieve if they did things differently. The book is divided into five parts. Part I discusses the challenge of policy and explains how anthropology is a social science. Part II covers the analysis and policy of the village universe, the urban contribution, and elements of the nation state, international connections, and the ""supra-nation"". Part III includes the innovation and genesis of ideas, resources and their management, change, conflict, and resistance. Part IV discusses the process of technical assistance, politics and conflict, the relationship between the politician and the social scientist, the mastery of judgment, and the organization of social sciences, and Part V talks about the values, choice, and the problems of the social sciences.
Sociologists, anthropologists, and politicians, especially those who would like to know the importance of the social studies, its relation to society and politics, and the global community would find the text a good read.

The Author

Acknowledgments

Perspectives

Part I Policy and Anthropology

1 The Challenge of Policy

2 Anthropology as Social Science

Part II A Structure of World Society

Prologue to Part II

3 Analysis of the Village Universe

4 Policy in the Village Universe

5 The Village Extended

6 The Urban Contribution

7 Elements of the Nation-State

8 International Connections

9 Supra-nation

Part III Movement in the Social System

Prologue to Part III

10 Innovation and the Genesis of Ideas

11 Resources and Their Management

12 Of Change, Conflict, and Resistance

Part IV Styles of Action

Prologue to Part IV

13 The Process of Technical Assistance

14 Working Close to the Community

15 Of Politics and Conflict

16 Politician as Sorcerer; Social Scientist as Apprentice

17 On the Mastery of Judgment

18 The Social Sciences Organized

Part V Values and Options

19 Values, Choice, and the Problem of Science

Index