Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 22.djvu/23

 WISSLER] OPPORTUNITIES FOR CO-ORDINATION II

soldiers and great things are to be expected from them in the future. What we need now is a start on the anthropological phase of the problem.

Again, applied psychology has come to hold a definite place in industrial management. Large technical schools now feel called upon to apologize if that subject does not appear in their catalogues. But when these schools send their students out to fill factory posi- tions, they will find the racial and cultural factors ever to the fore. Of these psychological engineers we have often heard, but the anthropological engineer is also a reality; a cotton-producing cor- poration using native labor in several countries employs an anthro- pologist to show how to handle these different culture and racial groups; another anthropologist is employed by an immigration commission ; etc. The textile and clothing industries are beginning to employ anthropologists to assist in training their workers and also to develop certain aspects of the industry. Since the psycholo- gists are well advanced in the development of industrial service, it would seem advisable that our division support a committee to develop anthropological service to industry.

I think enough has been said to show in what direction our joint opportunities lie. If one of the aims of the National Research Council is to make science an effective leader in the problems of peace, then someone must take up the problems we have outlined. The opportunity seems at hand for investigations upon a much higher plane than in the past and if we accomplish nothing, we have only ourselves to blame. I know there are anthropologists who look with disfavor upon the present form of our division. They are opposed to any and all efforts looking toward cooperation and coordination. Their idea is that we should have two separate sections; in other words that we should turn our backs upon each other and set out alone. I infer that there are psychologists taking similar views. These opponents of the present policy of the division believe that the objectives and points of view of anthro- pology and psychology are incompatible; that there may be com- mon ground between them, but that cooperation even here is im- possible. The course of events may prove this to be correct; but

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