Clarion Anthropologist Releases Book After Three Years of Research

Laurie Occhipinti, Ph.D., professor of anthropology at Clarion University, released “Making a Difference in a Globalized World: Short-term Missions that Work” in July. Published by Rowan and Littlefield Publishing, the book is designed to give mission trip leaders framework on how to maximize their experiences while visiting other cultures. Occhipinti’s work is based on three years of personal research.

The book reveals the nature of many modern short-term mission trips, such as the circumstances of their sponsorship (many are often church-based journeys) and what these trips actually entail. Her studies have led her to the conclusion that while most trips are based on evangelical purposes, the majority of them actually focus on renovating communities in a variety of ways: building community playgrounds, offering medical help, or serving meals to the needy; however, while good-will missions are often successful, the leaders of such trips struggle with how to go about them.

“Making a Difference in a Globalized World” offers short-term mission trip leaders accessible instruction on how to plan and pursue their missions by “presenting insight and understandings gained by anthropologists and development professionals.” Using a collection of anecdotes, personal experiences and case studies, Occhipinti provides readers with an analysis of the workings of short-term missions, as well as a guide on how to accomplish the best mission possible.

The book is available at http://www.rowman.com/ISBN/9781566997164.

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