Reflections on the Challenges of Anthropology in Contemporary Times and Future Prospects: The Douala Experience

Anthropology as an academic discipline was introduced in 1993 in the Faculty of Letters and Social Science under the Department of Sociology.It was immediately recognised as a salient component of academic training for students of other departments. The range of Departments that sought anthropology as a core course for its students included Departments of Philosophy-Psychology, Communication and African Studies. This department changed its name to Sociology and Communication until 2005 when it metamorphosed into the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. For the first time anthropology comprised 30 per cent of the academic programme in first and second year where it was offered within a combined context with courses in sociology. Students were offered the choice of specialising either in anthropology or sociology from the third year. In December 2007, a department of Anthropology was created. However, it was not until 2008/2009 academic year that anthropology courses dominated the academic programmes representing 60 per cent of courses. Presently, the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes offer two specialisations: medical anthropology and political anthropology. The history of Anthropology as a discipline in the University of Douala, was also fraught with challenges mostly within its resident or host department. It was within this context that the teaching of anthropology took off in Douala as a more visible subject matter. Nonetheless, anthropology remains perceived as important notably in ethnographic research and qualitative methods. Collaborations are still sought by other departments as well as national and international organisations especially within the context of operational health research. Contemporary trend indicates that the way forward for anthropology lies in its professionalisation and application in a practical manner in a real world and its collaboration with other disciplines.