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Date: | Wed, 30 Nov 1994 10:24:33 CST |
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Bob Jeske makes some important points about professionalism. I'm not
sure expanding the SHPO staffs with enough people to do more inspections
is necessarily the best way to go. As Bob points out certification doesn't
work very well until no one can work in crm (or other areas of archaeology)
without certification. Not many people in SOPA (I've been a member since
1979, just to dispel any misconception that I might be unbiased) would
disagree. But the world rarely goes from A (no certification) to B
(certification) in one step, unless lives are threatened (and dead people
don't vote). SOPA was established out of a recognition that standards
of professionalism were needed in the field (not just for crm, but for
field schools and other field projects) and that it was preferable to
have archaeologists write the standards than to have them imposed by
the government and limited only to crm work. The establishment of standards
is a gradual process, especially given the independent nature of most
archaeologists. While I'm sure many people join to be able to add it
to their vita, they assume the burden that they allow themselves and their
work and their professionalism to be judged by their peers in a way that
no non-SOPA member does. Is it perfect? Does it work every time? No, but
what does, even some incompetent doctors practice too long without being
stopped. Perfection seems to be a standard reserved for things that
people do not belong to. Few people leave SAA because its not perfect,
but many say they do not join SOPA because it isn't perfect.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
David L. Carlson, ARCH-L Listowner Internet: [log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department Phone: (409) 845-4044
Texas A&M University Telefax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX 77843-4352
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