Histories of Anthropology

This edited volume presents a history of anthropology that extends beyond the Western world, focusing on the results of different traditions in the present. It investigates the distinction between empire-building and nation-building anthropology, highlights how hegemonic anthropologies have been accepted and assimilated in local contexts, and explores the local contributions to the discipline.

Format: Hardback
Length: 676 pages
Publication date: 23 March 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This edited volume presents, for the first time, a comprehensive history of anthropology, encompassing not only the well-known European and American traditions but also lesser-known ones, expanding its scope beyond the Western world. It delves into the outcomes of these traditions in the present, considering the distinction between empire-building and nation-building anthropology introduced by G. Stocking and further developed by U. Hannerz. The book explores diverse histories of anthropology, particularly in ex-colonial and marginalized contexts. It sheds light on how hegemonic anthropologies have been accepted and integrated into local contexts, the approaches that have been favored by institutions and academies in different regions, how the anthropological approach has been modeled and adapted to meet specific knowledge requirements related to the cultural features of different areas, and which schools have emerged as the most consolidated today.

Each chapter in this volume presents a "cultural history" of one of the historical-cultural and geo-political contexts that have influenced and shaped the specific disciplinary traditions. The chapters highlight the local contributions to the discipline, the influences exerted by world centers on the peripheries, and the ways in which the peripheries have "learned from the centers" to re-elaborate meaningful or otherwise recognizable disciplinary lines.

This edited volume offers a valuable resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in understanding the evolution and diversity of anthropology, providing a comprehensive and nuanced account of its past and present.

Weight: 1027g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031212574
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023