ABSTRACT
This chapter considers some of the new lines of enquiry, arguing that a more in-depth integration of political economy would enhance their analyses of unequal power relations, inequalities and global connections and disconnections. It discusses briefly what authors mean by critical anthropology. The chapter explores recent scholarly trends that have relegated historical political economy, unequal power relations and long-standing patterns of inequality to the status of background or context, and so have weakened their critical potential. It presents some of the new lines of enquiry that have revitalised the political-economy critical tradition, and use them to indicate possible lines of critical enquiry for the future. The chapter discusses the continuing rejection of historical political economy frequently echoes the postmodernist assertion of the 1980s, that its scientific roots are yet another unfortunate product of universalistic Western theorising. It considers two works to illustrate author's point, Sherry Ortner's New Jersey dreaming and John Jackson's Harlemworld.
