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"Dull anthropology" – Book review: A Society Without Husbands or Fathers

Published on August 28, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, Asia, books, gender, persons and theories

“Despite the fascinating content, the book is a methodical anthropological study, and thus heavy going at times. One longs to hear more Na voices, to read more stories of their ways”, David Loftus writes in his review of the book A Society without Fathers or Husbands: The Na of China by anthropologist Cai Hua. His critism reminds on debates in the 1980s and 90s (“How could such interesting people (anthropologists) doing such interesting things (fieldwork) produce such dull books?”). While the debate contributed to some more personal ethnographies (personal reflections on fieldwork, multiple voices etc), postmodernism led to some totally unreadable accounts.

The reviewed book is about a matrilineal society where “genetic fathers have no recognized kinship with children, and no part in their upbringing”. Furthermore, “men and women take multiple sex partners. “An attempt to monopolize one’s partner is always considered shameful and stupid,” Cai Hua writes, “and the villagers will mock it for a long time.”

>> read the whole review on blogcritics.org

ON MATRILINEAL SOCIETIES SEE ALSO:

Eggi’s Village. Life Among the Minangkabau of Indonesia (another matrilineal society)

Contemporary matriarchal societies: The Nagovisi, Khasi, Garo, and Machiguenga

Matriarchy: history or reality?

Anthropologists: U.S. Marriage Model Is Not Universal Norm

MORE ON ACADEMIC WRITING:

How To Speak and Write Postmodern

Karla Poewe: Writing Culture and Writing Fieldwork: The Proliferation of Experimental and Experiential Ethnographies

"Despite the fascinating content, the book is a methodical anthropological study, and thus heavy going at times. One longs to hear more Na voices, to read more stories of their ways", David Loftus writes in his review of the…

Book review: Medical Anthropology in Ecological Perspective

Published on August 28, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, books, medical anthropology / ethnobothany

In the August 2005 issue of The Australian Journal of Anthropology, Jocelyn Grace reviews the book “Medical Anthropology in Ecological Perspective” by Ann McElroy and Patricia Townsend. The review is interesting, especially because it addresses differences in regional traditions in anthropology.

The USA might be the only region (or one of the few) in the world where the evolutionary perspective plays a role in anthropology. Nevertheless, the authors claim:

Combined with evolutionary theory and field methodology, medical ecology has provided some key organizing principles for medical anthropology. Although no single approach ‘unites the field’, there is a ‘broad tacit consensus’ that ecology and evolution are core concepts.

Grace writes in her review:

Although this may be the case in the United States, it is certainly not true of medical anthropology in Australia. (…) Given its theoretical orientation, Medical Anthropology in Ecological Perspective is not a likely choice as a core text for teaching medical anthropology in Australia.

The same could be said about anthropology in Europe.

>> read the whole review

In the August 2005 issue of The Australian Journal of Anthropology, Jocelyn Grace reviews the book "Medical Anthropology in Ecological Perspective" by Ann McElroy and Patricia Townsend. The review is interesting, especially because it addresses differences in regional traditions…

Ausstellung soll Grenzen zwischen Kunstgeschichte und Ethnologie aufbrechen

Published on August 27, 2005 by lorenz Posted in Afrika, Ausstellungen Museen, Ethnologie Sozialanthropologie Kulturanthropologie, interdiziplinär

Berliner Morgenpost

Jahrzehntelang prägte das Bild des “Primitiven” den Blick auf die “Kunst aus Afrika”. Doch ist diese so heterogen, daß sie mit den allseits beliebten Plastiken nicht zu fassen ist, wie sie die westliche Moderne rezipierte. Mit 180 Objekten aus seiner weltberühmten Sammlung zeigt sich die Afrika-Schau des Ethnologischen Museums in Dahlem in neuem Licht. Grenzen zwischen Kunstgeschichte und Ethnologie sollen aufgebrochen werden. >> weiter

Berliner Morgenpost

Jahrzehntelang prägte das Bild des "Primitiven" den Blick auf die "Kunst aus Afrika". Doch ist diese so heterogen, daß sie mit den allseits beliebten Plastiken nicht zu fassen ist, wie sie die westliche Moderne rezipierte. Mit 180 Objekten aus…

Unni Wikan: Shabana fikk hevn som fortjent

Published on August 26, 2005 by lorenz Posted in media, sosialantropologi i Norge, Sverige og Danmark

Når innvandrere er innblandet i noe, pleier journalister automatisk å ringe en antropolog for å diskutere kultur og sånn. Dagbladet skriver over NRK Dagsnytts programm der antropolog Unni Wikan ble bedt om en kommentar angående Shabanas rumpe-stunt med kulturministeren. Først kysset hun kulturminister Valgerd Svarstad Haugland. Så viste hun rumpa til publikum: Wikan sier:

– Hvis det er riktig som det står i aviser, at Shabana Rehman koblet sitt rumpestunt med å si på forhånd at nå kom hun til å gjøre noe som skulle provosere pakistanere, så vil jeg vel si at det nesten er som en invitt til å få en type hevn. Jeg mener det er viktig med respekt i et flerkulturelt samfunn. Det er viktig med ytringsfrihet, men ingen er tjent med at man begår handlinger som gjør at mennesker fra minoriteter føler at deres verdighet blir tråkket på.

>> les saken i Dagbladet

>> Diskusjon på Dagens Onde Kvinner: Shabana Rehman er i sin fulle rett til å gjøre like mange ekle ting som Kristoffer Schau, om hun skulle ønske det, uten at akademikere fra Blindern skal vifte med pekefingern

OPPDATERING: VG: Skytingen har ikke noe med Shabanas stunt å gjore

LENKER OPPDATERT 31.12.2022

Taking American Race Relations on the Road…to Africa / Rituals in Ghana / Men and Masculinities in Africa

Published on August 26, 2005 by lorenz Posted in Africa, anthropology in the news, books, gender, journal articles / papers, Us and Them

The African Studies Quarterly is an Open Access Online Journal for African Studies.

In their recent issue there’s an article by anthropologist Rebecca Gearhart on Taking American Race Relations on the Road…to Africa:

“As an anthropologist who leads undergraduates to East Africa, I am in hot pursuit of a way to help my students avoid taking the particular way in which Americans understand race with them to Africa. So far, I have been unsuccessful in prying my students loose from the color-coded framework that has organized race relations for them throughout their lives. American notions of race often become obstacles to understanding how social relationships are negotiated outside of the American context. (…) Social relationships in Kenya are not defined by skin color the way they are in America. From a Kenyan perspective, “race” might be translated as: cultural heritage, first language, home district, family name, profession, and/or ethnic affiliation.”

>> continue

Their recent issue has lots of interesting book reviews, among others Joseph Adjaye’s ethnography “Boundaries of Self and Other in Ghanaian Popular Culture”. Adjaye studies his own society:

Joseph Adjaye offers us an inspiring ethnography of several rituals among the Akan, Krobo, and Bono in Ghana. The book offers a vivid impression of the (post)colonial transformations of libations, funerals, naming ceremonies, female initiation practices and two festivals (Bakatue and Apoo), which the author tries to explain by using and refining different theoretical approaches. The strength of this book is situated in the author’s personal experiences. As the eldest son in an Akan family, he has to take up specific rules during rituals.

>> continue

Another book review: Men and Masculinities in Modern Africa. Edited by Lisa A. Lindsay and Stephan F. Miescher:

“This book is the first collection of its kind to focus on the practices of masculinities especially in West Africa. Covering early colonial period through post-independence, the editors and contributors discuss how masculinities have been constructed and contested in sub-Saharan Africa. The book challenges stereotypes of African men as inferior and victims of colonialism.”

>> continue

The African Studies Quarterly is an Open Access Online Journal for African Studies.

In their recent issue there's an article by anthropologist Rebecca Gearhart on Taking American Race Relations on the Road...to Africa:

"As an anthropologist who leads undergraduates to East…