Introduction to Anthropology Southern Africa, special edition on 'Debating Southern African Anthropology'

By challenging anthropologists practising in different southern African contexts to engage in debate, we elicited a rich array of viewpoints and counter-challenges as we gathered articles for this special edition. In this introductory article we set the scene for the special edition, tracking the hi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anthropology Southern Africa Vol. 30; no. 3-4; pp. 67 - 74
Main Authors: van der Waal, Kees (C. S.), Ward, Vivienne
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Routledge 01.01.2007
Subjects:
Anthropology Southern Africa
criticality
Debate
essentialism
public anthropology
southern African anthropology
ISSN:2332-3256, 2332-3264
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:By challenging anthropologists practising in different southern African contexts to engage in debate, we elicited a rich array of viewpoints and counter-challenges as we gathered articles for this special edition. In this introductory article we set the scene for the special edition, tracking the history of this contentious discipline and sketching the views of the participating authors as they engage with debate from various perspectives. In the process we note deep introspection regarding the position of the discipline with its shifting relationships between practitioners and between academic institutions, as well as a concern to expand the intellectual and public foci of the discipline and the need for critical social engagement. This collection of voices challenges southern African anthropology on many levels, and most importantly, sets the stage for further debate within and around the discipline.
ISSN:2332-3256
2332-3264
DOI:10.1080/23323256.2007.11499949