Training the State on Cultural Expertise: Lessons from workshops with district attorneys and detectives in Costa Rica

Providing examples of recent cultural change and the need for contextualization can change expectations about anthropological generalization and essentialization in our representation of other cultures. Institutional support is also crucial – from state institutions like the Public Ministry creating these spaces for dialogue, to the openness of law schools to teach about cultural evidence, to anthropological professional associations supporting our work and helping to set guidelines for recognition of our expertise.</p>