Matthew Engelke (ed.) The Objects of Evidence. Anthropological approaches to the production of knowledge, 2009, Willey-VCH, Anthropological Approaches to the Production of Knowledge, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute Special Issue Book Series
Journal Title: Journal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology - Year 2011, Vol 2, Issue 2
Abstract
Frequently, ethnographies and anthropological articles open with vignettes or anecdotes that convey a sense of being there on the author’s part and transpose the reader to transiently witness that experience. Following this initial rendition of vivid characters and intriguing situations, there is an exercise in showing that first hunches were subsequently central to the anthropologists’ understanding. They seek to persuade the reader that they got it right! However, this faith in metonymy to explain the human condition sometimes makes anthropology a less convincing in the eyes (and minds) of people trained in other disciplines. How is it that everything going on during fieldwork might be potential evidence? In addition to being formative, anecdotes and stories from the field are the most engaging topics in formal and informal talks between anthropologists due to their indexical potential to suggest belonging to the anthropological community. However, it is difficult to keep stories and arguments apart, because stories do not make sense for themselves, they are not self-sufficient, but rather open avenues to discuss always partially answered questions like what and how do anthropologists know? Ultimately, what do anthropologists mean by knowledge? And how do they accommodate experiments in representation, render reliable accounts and construct persuasive arguments?
Authors and Affiliations
Simona Ciotlăuş
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