Watch Human Terrain

Human Terrain is a thought-provoking documentary about the Human Terrain System (HTS), a controversial military program in the United States that aimed to provide soldiers with better cultural understanding and situational awareness during the War on Terror. The film explores the ethical and political implications of the program through the eyes of five HTS employees and their families, as well as experts and critics of the program.

The film begins with an overview of the HTS, which was founded in 2006 and operated until 2014. The program consisted of social scientists who were embedded with military units in Iraq and Afghanistan, where they provided cultural and historical knowledge to soldiers, as well as helped to identify and engage with local populations. The HTS was intended to reduce casualties, enhance mission success, and build local capacity, but it faced criticism from the start for its use of civilian researchers in war zones, its lack of clear guidelines and oversight, and its association with counterinsurgency and nation-building.

The film then introduces us to the five HTS employees, who come from different backgrounds and have different motivations for joining the program. There is Christopher, a former Marine who sees the HTS as a way to continue serving his country; Sarah, a cultural anthropologist who is skeptical of the military but believes that her research can make a difference; Ken, a political scientist who is critical of U.S. foreign policy but wants to bridge the gap between academia and the military; Robert, a social psychologist who is excited about the interdisciplinary nature of the program; and Paula, a linguist who is passionate about understanding local communities and languages.

Throughout the film, we follow these individuals as they navigate the challenges of working in a war zone, living in isolation from their families and colleagues, and dealing with the expectations and demands of the military. We see them conducting interviews and surveys with locals, interpreting cultural and religious practices, and advising military commanders on how to engage with the population. We also see them grappling with the ethical dilemmas of their work, such as whether to share information with the military that could lead to harm for civilians or insurgents, or whether to maintain their academic neutrality and autonomy in a military chain of command.

The film also features interviews with experts and critics of the HTS, who provide context and analysis of the program's origins, goals, and controversies. These include Montgomery McFate, the architect of the HTS and a controversial figure in the social science community; David Price, an anthropologist and critic of the program who believes it violates academic ethics and human rights principles; and Catherine Lutz, a political scientist and critic of U.S. militarism who argues that the HTS perpetuates a colonial mindset and undermines local agency.

Overall, Human Terrain is a nuanced and engaging exploration of a complex and timely issue. It raises important questions about the role of social science in war, the ethics of military-civilian collaboration, and the limits of cultural understanding in conflict zones. The film does not take a side or offer easy answers, but instead shows the complexity and ambiguity of the HTS and its impact on the lives of its participants and subjects. It is a must-see for anyone interested in the intersection of military, diplomacy, and academia, and the challenges of navigating cultural differences in a globalized world.