| ID | 112739 |
| Title Proper | Culturally sensitive war? the human terrain system and the seduction of ethics |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Zehfuss, Maja |
| Publication | 2012. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Since around 2005, efforts have been made within the US military to highlight the significance of culture or the 'human terrain' for counterinsurgency operations. The US Army responded to the asserted 'cultural knowledge gap' by establishing an experimental programme called the Human Terrain System (HTS), which involves deploying social scientists alongside combat forces. While HTS was received favourably in the US mainstream media, it has been fiercely criticized by anthropologists in particular, who argue not least that participation in the programme would constitute a violation of their professional ethics, which require them to protect their research subjects. This article explores the anthropologists' critique and its limitations, arguing that it fails to tackle the problem of ethics deployed as a supposedly extra-political standard that can serve to (de)legitimize political projects. In particular, it is unable to dislodge the fantasy of protection at the heart of the argument for HTS. |
| `In' analytical Note | Security Dialogue Vol. 43, No.2; Apr 2012: p.175-190 |
| Journal Source | Security Dialogue Vol. 43, No.2; Apr 2012: p.175-190 |
| Key Words | War ; Ethics ; Human Terrain ; Anthropology ; Cultural Knowledge ; Research Ethics |