Anthropology and "bullshit jobs". Some thoughts on learning and teaching humanities in general and anthropology in particular, in Colombia

This article reviews the foundations of David Graeber's thesis on the value of work and economic inequality. It seeks to use this thesis to explain why some governments affirm that countries should train more professionals for the industry (such as engineers), and less humanists (such as sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists). Also, the article offers data to understand how anthropology professionals perceive the discipline and the social role it plays in today's economy. To assess such controversies, the anthropological production on the subject in Colombia is reviewed and compared with current data on enrollment in Anthropology Programs from the Colombian Ministry of Education. For all the above, this document seeks to be a reflection essay to raise questions that reorient the analysis of the professional situation of anthropology rather than an exhibition of original research results.