Bridging Two Worlds: Challenges and Opportunities for Anthropologists Working in Team Science

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities of applying interpretivist, qualitative, anthropological approaches in predominantly positivist fields such as public health and health sciences. Anthropological approaches can foster a more nuanced understanding of public health issues and contribute to meaningful, culturally responsive programs and solutions, especially when working with communities from varied backgrounds, making them critical to integrate into health sciences. However, common tensions arise when qualitative methodologies are scrutinized or undervalued based on predominating health sciences frameworks or misunderstood when the norms and benchmarks of other paradigms are inappropriately applied. We describe how we navigate these tensions while upholding the integrity of our work and honoring other ways of knowing and sharing strategies for recognizing and incorporating contributions of diverse communities through community-engaged research and cross-cultural collaboration.