ABSTRACT

The postmodernist critique of Objectivism, Realism and Essentialism has somewhat shattered the foundations of anthropology, seriously questioning the legitimacy of studying others. By confronting the critique and turning it into a vital part of the anthropological debate, A Passage to Anthropology provides a rigorous discussion of central theoretical problems in anthropology that will find a readership in the social sciences and the humanities. It makes the case for a renewed and invigorated scholarly anthropology with extensive reference to recent anthropological debates in Europe and the US, as well as to new developments in linguistic theory and, especially, newer American philosophy.
Although the style of the work is mainly theoretical, the author illustrates the points by referring to her own fieldwork conducted in Iceland. A Passage to Anthropology will be of interest to students in anthropology, sociology and cultural studies.

chapter |8 pages

Prologue

The itinerary

chapter |17 pages

The Ethnographic Present

On starting in time

chapter |19 pages

The Language Paradox

On the limits of words

chapter |16 pages

The Empirical Foundation

On the grounding of worlds

chapter |16 pages

The Anthropological Imagination

On the making of sense

chapter |22 pages

The Motivated Body

On the locus of agency

chapter |24 pages

The Inarticulate Mind

On the point of awareness

chapter |23 pages

The Symbolic Violence

On the loss of self

chapter |16 pages

The Native Voice

On taking responsibility

chapter |18 pages

The Realist Quest

On asking for evidence

chapter |8 pages

Epilogue

Returning Home