Challenges for Anthropology in the 'African Renaissance': A Southern African Contribution

Debie LeBeau; Robert J. Gordon

ISBN 10: 9991659420 / ISBN 13: 9789991659428

Published by University of Namibia Press, 2003

About this Item

Paperback, xiv + 318 pages, b&w maps and photos pp 311-318, NOT ex-library. Clean and bright interior with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps, firmly bound. Gentle handling wear only, a long crease on the spine. -- This collection captures a pivotal post-apartheid moment, assessing the state and future of anthropology in Southern Africa through the lens of the "African Renaissance." -- Originating from a landmark conference of the Association for Anthropology in Southern Africa, this volume gathers established and emerging scholars to explore the discipline's role in an era of intellectual renewal. The essays are organized into five key themes: rethinking anthropology's colonial past; the reinvention of culture and tradition; perspectives on gender and youth; the application of anthropology in development; and studies of land, space, and landscapes. Case studies offer a rich flavour of the research, from health-seeking behaviors related to witchcraft and HIV/AIDS to the subaltern meaning of spaza shops as a form of resistance in South African townships. A notable emphasis is placed on medical anthropology and development studies. -- The book's value lies in its documentation of a discipline in transition. It moves beyond outdated culturological and Marxist frameworks to engage with contemporary, Africa-centred intellectual concerns, offering indispensable insights for scholars of African studies, post-colonial theory, and international development.

Seller Inventory # 012064

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Challenges for Anthropology in the 'African Renaissance': A Southern African Contribution
• Publisher: University of Namibia Press
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9991659420
• ISBN 13: 9789991659428
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

Anthropology, having progressed from being a colonial exercise to a post-colonial tool for intellectual rebirth, and with its central concern with culture and its fieldwork-based approach, must be central to the dialogue about Africa's future. This volume proceeds from a conference of the Association for Anthropology in Southern Africa to assess the state, status and future of anthropology in Southern Africa. It is inspired by the concept of the African Renaissance coined by Thabo Mbeki, and his implied intellectual call to arms to face problems within the African continent by using African ideals, institutions and intelligentsia; and in its diverse responses it is an effort to strengthen the movement. The essays are grouped into sections on: rethinking anthropology; the reinvention of culture and tradition; perspectives on gender and youth; the place of anthropology in development; and land, space and landscapes. Particular weight is given to medical anthropology, and anthropology with applications for development.