Applied Anthropology Associations
The Consortium for Practicing and Applied Anthropology Programs (COPAA) is an independent organization with ties to several other anthropology organizations. In particular, it sponsors sessions at the annual meetings of the Society for Applied Anthropology and the American Anthropological Association, and maintains ties with the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology. It is also open to working with members of Local Practitioner Organizations and with regional anthropological societies.
Brief description and focus of these organizations:
- Consortium for Practicing and Applied Anthropology Programs (COPAA)
- COPAA was founded in 2000 as a means for academic programs with a commitment to education and training in applied and practicing anthropology to collaboratively work together on initiatives. The basic idea in creating the Consortium was that these academic programs could accomplish more by working together than by acting as isolated and competing institutions of higher education.
- Society for Applied Anthropology (SfAA)
- The SfAA was incorporated as an international scientific society for applied social scientists in 1941. The SfAA has about 2775 members. The annual meeting takes place in March or April.
- National Association for the Practice of Anthropology (NAPA)
- NAPA was established as a section of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) in 1983 as an organization of applied and practicing anthropologists. NAPA has about 600 members. NAPA sponsors sessions at the annual AAA meeting.
- American Anthropological Association (AAA)
- AAA is the most general national association of anthropologists in the United States. It is a large organization, with about 12,000 members, which encompasses all fields of anthropology. NAPA is the section within the AAA for applied and practicing anthropologists. The AAA’s annual meeting takes place in November or December.
Local Practitioner Organizations (LPOs)
LPOs are regionally based applied and practicing anthropology organizations. They are organized according to their unique regional needs; some meet monthly while others meet less frequently, or annually. Here is a partial list of active LPOs:
- Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists (WAPA)
- High Plains Society for Applied Anthropology (HPSfAA)
- Chicago Association for Practicing Anthropologists (CAPA)
- Sun Coast Organization of Practicing Anthropologists (SCOPA)
- California Alliance of Local Practitioner Organizations (CALPO), which includes the Southern California Applied Anthropology Network (SCAAN), Bay Area Association of Practicing Anthropologists (BAAPA), and Central Valley Applied Anthropology Network (CVAAN)
- Mid-South Association of Professional Anthropologists (MSAPA)
