Anthropology’s relevance at a global right turn

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29340/en.v1n1.8

Keywords:

anthropology, public debates, anti-intellectualism, right-wing politics, multiculturalism

Abstract

A decrease in the importance of anthropologists’ participation in public debates can be traced to a number of factors, some inherent to the discipline, others not. Triviality, high specialization levels and neglecting issues of broad public interest are problems that must be debated. Additionally, the current resurgence of racist and intolerant discourses points to the possible opening of a “post-multicultural” era in which anthropological knowledge must be re-posited. The internet is another important variable for understanding contemporary anti-intellectualism in that it gives rise to a renewed illusion of transparency that seemingly renders social science useless. Ethnography—with its ability to bring us closer to cultural agents—is a base for anthropologists’ new engagement with their political and public roles.

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Author Biography

  • Gustavo Lins Ribeiro, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana

    Gustavo Lins Ribeiro holds a PhD in Anthropology (CUNY-1988). Professor of the Department of Cultural Studies, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Lerma and Emeritus Researcher of the National System of Researchers (Conacyt), Mexico. Professor Emeritus of the University of Brasilia. He was president of the Associação Brasileira de Antropologia, first president of the World Council of Anthropological Associations, vice-president of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences and is its honorary member. In 2021, he won the Franz Boas Award for Exemplary Contributions to Anthropology from the American Anthropological Association. He wrote and edited 28 volumes (including translations) published in nine countries, as well as more than 180 articles and chapters in seven languages on all continents. His latest book is Other Globalizations (2018).

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Published

2018-03-22

How to Cite

Anthropology’s relevance at a global right turn. (2018). Encartes, 1(1), 5-26. https://doi.org/10.29340/en.v1n1.8