Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 22.djvu/20

 8 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [N. s., 22, 1920

My citation of these words from these very eminent psycholo- gists is not to scoff. On behalf of the anthropologists, I take this opportunity to congratulate the psychologists upon their glorious achievements in the war and to express our joy in the confidence with which they now turn to the gigantic problems of peace.

But what are these great problems the psychologists are to attack? They seem to be the problems that arise in such phe- nomena as "social unrest," "profit-sharing," "shop-management," immigration, vocational training, Americanization, international relations, etc. Certain it is that if psychology is to save the world, here is where she must work.

The psychologists seem to assume that the road to the solution of these world problems leads out directly from their own beaten track. Perhaps they feel confident that they can meet the situation by controlling the reactions of the individual. They may be right; but as an anthropologist, I sound a warning. The phenomena we have cited are to a large degree racial, they are moreover phenomena of culture. In short, the psychologist is about to attack a problem in culture and there are but two roads to success in this undertaking : one is for him to call upon the anthropologist for help, the other is for the psychologist to turn anthropologist. To take up one of these intricate problems in our culture without resort to the technique developed by the anthropologist, would be just as absurd as to proceed with a psychological problem, with only the technique of anthropology. The social body to which we belong may be sick, in fact I think it is, but it needs something more than psychological treatment.

We seem to be entering upon a new phase of the world's history. Some centuries ago the English people became conscious of the fact that they had a society, that society could be improved or rationally manipulated by the use of scientific knowledge. This was a great achievement and is regarded as the foundation of modern life. Now we are about to make another advance; the English- speaking people are about to become conscious of having a culture, conscious of the fact that each racial, or biological group has its culture. Then will come the realization that problems in culture

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