20 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY 

 (Report prepared by Gordon R. Willey) 



General statement. — The objectives of the Institute of Social Anthro- 

 pology are anthropological research on the community life of rural 

 peoples of Latin America and the training of Latin American nationals 

 in the methods and principles of modern social anthropology. The aim 

 is to inform both the social scientist and layman in the United States 

 concerning little-known peoples of other parts of the world and to 

 build up in various Latin American countries a corps of professionally 

 trained scientists and friends. 



During the past year the Institute was financed by transfers of funds 

 from the Department of State, totaling $82,510, from the appropria- 

 tion "International Information and Education Activities, 1950." 

 As in the previous year, long-term planning has been done on a very 

 tentative basis because of budget uncertainties for the future. Early 

 in the fiscal year reorganizations in Department of State technical- 

 aid-type programs called for a reappraisal of the Institute's goals and 

 programs. With the Point IV foreign aid scheduled to take the place 

 of many of the projects of the former Committee for Scientific and 

 Cultural Cooperation, the question was raised as to whether the work 

 of the Institute should come within this new organizational frame- 

 work. The decision of the Institute, in keeping with the general 

 policy of the Smithsonian Institution, was that the Institute should 

 continue with basic research and teaching and not enter directly into 

 the field of applied social science. Nevertheless, the Institute, 

 through the office of the Director, served in an informal consultative 

 capacity to the Program Analysis and Reports Branch of the Inter- 

 departmental Committee and to the Point IV successor of this 

 committee. Such consultation has included recommendations for 

 anthropological aid and personnel for Point IV work, conferences with 

 the representatives of other governmental agencies considering 

 technical assistance programs, and informal memoranda from our 

 field representatives on features of local native life that provide a 

 background for economic development programs. 



The regular assignments and program of the Institute continued as 

 formerly in the Washington office, and in the field stations in Brazil, 

 Colombia, Mexico, and Peril. 



Washington office. — Dr. George M. Foster, Director, served from 

 July 1 until September 3, assuming leave status at the end of this 

 period to conduct privately sponsored research in Spain. Although 

 these investigations in Spain are not officially connected with the 

 Institute of Social Anthropology program, they bear directly upon it 

 scientifically in view of the close historical relationships between Spain 



