Ethics of Description: The Anthropological Dispositif and French Modern Travel Writing

The Anthropological Dispositif and French Modern Travel Writing explores the ethical challenges of representing world peoples in French literature during the colonial-modern era. It analyzes 40 images alongside literary works and demonstrates how the ethical awareness of these authors has impacted minority self-representation in contemporary France.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 29 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Ethics of Description: The Anthropological Dispositif and French Modern Travel Writing delves into the evolution of a distinct literary genre in French literature, wherein metropolitan authors embark on foreign travels and showcase their cognizance of the ethical dilemmas inherent in portraying diverse global communities. Throughout the colonial-modern era, prevailing currents of anthropological thought and representational practices permeated society, manifesting across various domains, including literature, the arts, and the sciences. Collectively, these can be conceptualized as part of a dispositif, the anthropological dispositif. The modernization of anthropology serves as an ambivalent interlocutor for the realizations of the writers examined in this book regarding the challenges of describing cultural realities that largely lie beyond their understanding. Anthropology motivates innovative literary representational strategies, which may align with scientific imperatives or defy them. A postcolonial chapter highlights how the ethical awareness of the colonial-modern authors studied has influenced minority self-representation in contemporary France.

Ethics of Description: The Anthropological Dispositif and French Modern Travel Writing explores the emergence of a minor literary tradition in French literature, wherein metropolitan authors venture abroad and exhibit their awareness of the ethical complexities involved in representing diverse global communities.

During the colonial-modern era, prevailing currents of anthropological thought and representational practices permeated society, manifesting across various domains, including literature, the arts, and the sciences. Collectively, these can be conceptualized as part of a dispositif, the anthropological dispositif.

The modernization of anthropology serves as an ambivalent interlocutor for the realizations of the writers examined in this book regarding the challenges of describing cultural realities that largely lie beyond their understanding. Anthropology motivates innovative literary representational strategies, which may align with scientific imperatives or defy them.

A postcolonial chapter highlights how the ethical awareness of the colonial-modern authors studied has influenced minority self-representation in contemporary France.

Weight: 670g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367858643