KNOWLEDGE FOR USE - ANTHROPOLOGY AND COMMUNITY-CENTERED SUBSTANCE-ABUSE RESEARCH

The anthropological world has changed. The ethnographic Other is no lo nger available and pliant, awaiting anthropological representation, bu t has acquired a voice of his/her own. As a result, anthropology is fa ced with a dilemma. What is to be the anthropological role in this tra nsformed world? Two alternatives are examined. The first, postmodernis m, stresses the development of experimental ethnographic texts that in scribe the voice of the transformed Other. Noting the weaknesses of th e postmodern 'solution,' this paper proposes community-centered resear ch as a more appropriate response to contemporary social realities. In this approach, the anthropologist seeks collaboration with the Other in the struggle for self-determination. Illustration is provided with the case study of anthropologists employed in a Puerto Rican community based organization (CBO), with specific reference to the emergence an d development of the substance abuse prevention and treatment work of this CBO. While noting the difficulties of this role, the paper argues that scholarly activism, a model adopted from the Third World, is wel l suited to the postmodern world.