Description
Book SynopsisThis ground-breaking collection introduces readers to the fascinating research field of political anthropology. The chapters engage in major theoretical and methodological debates to provide interpretive frames, analytical tools and ethnographic illustrations for culturally based interpretations of political phenomena, revealing the intersection between anthropology, culture, politics and international relations.
Theoretical tools such as liminality, sacrifice, mimesis, ethics, trickster and interpretation of meaning provide understanding of key challenges in a globalised world. These include war zones, revolutions, migration, securitization, territorial borders, climate change and ethno-religious violence. The contributing authors focus on the ethnographies of power, political culture and forms of cultural intimacy in informal networks. Using self-critical and reflexive approaches, they show that disciplinary boundaries have been reshaped by changing meanings of power, including reconfigurations of state and sovereignty. With reflections on the potential and limits of political anthropology, this Handbook explores the art of understanding human interaction within political frameworks in a globalising world.
Offering a unique reference resource in the area with exceptional cross-disciplinary research, this Handbook will suit political, social and cultural anthropologists as well as scholars in comparative political analysis and social theory. Students and researchers of politics, anthropology and international relations will also benefit from the key methodological tools explaining the challenges and consequences of globalisation.
Contributors include: S. Coleman, J.-P. Daloz, G. de Anna, H. Donnan, T.H. Eriksen, R. Farneti, M. Fog Olwig, J. Gledhill, J. Gould, S. Haugbølle, A. Horvath, C. Illies, J. Kubik, N. Long, M. Mälksoo, K. Martin, M. Moodie, M. Nuijten, P. Rabinow, M. Rasaratnam, P. Raman, E. Ranta, A. Sanchez, D. Sausdal, A. Stavrianakis, F. Stepputat, A. Szakolczai, B. Thomassen, H. Vigh, H. Wydra
Trade Review'This wide-ranging collection challenges disciplinary boundaries to demonstrate the relevance of political anthropology to both old and new audiences. It offers refreshing takes on core anthropological themes and links classical theory to the quintessential questions of political life today in a compelling manner useful to diverse scholars, students, and practitioners.' --Sara Shneiderman, University of British Columbia, Canada
Table of ContentsContents: Introduction: the promise of political anthropology Harald Wydra and Bjørn Thomassen PART I OLD AND NEW PARADIGMS 1. Recovering the classical foundations of political anthropology Arpad Szakolczai 2. On the mimetic turn in the social sciences Roberto Farneti 3. Charisma/trickster: on the twofold nature of power Agnes Horvath 4. Contemporary political stakes: after-lives of the modern Paul Rabinow and Anthony Stavrianakis 5. Political anthropology: biology, culture, and ethics Gabriele De Anna and Christian Illies 6. Cultural intimacy and the politics of civility Michael Herzfeld PART II ANTHRO-POLITICS IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD 7. Politics and the permanence of the sacred Paul Dumouchel 8. Anthropology and the enigma of the state Finn Stepputat and Monique Nuijten 9. Liminality and the politics of the transitional Maria Mälksoo 10. The anthropology of political revolutions Bjørn Thomassen 11. Comparative political analysis and the interpretation of meaning Jean-Pascal Daloz 12. Anthropology and political ideology Sune Haugbolle 13. Post-neoliberalism? Keir Martin 14. The political and the religious: on the making of virtuous politics Simon Coleman PART III ETHNOGRAPHIES OF THE POLITICAL 15. The politics of development: anthropological perspectives Jeremy Gould and Eija Ranta 16. Ethnographies of power Jan Kubik 17. Postdemocracy and a politics of prefiguration Nicholas J. Long 18. Feminist theory and reproduction Megan Moodie 19. New war zones or evolving modes of insurgency warfare? Morten Bøås 20. The political anthropology of borders and territory: European perspectives Hastings Donnan, Bjørn Thomassen and Harald Wydra 21. The politics of movement and migration Parvathi Raman PART IV PROCESSES 22. Security, securitization, desecuritization: how security produces insecurity John Gledhill 23. Nature, politics, and climate change Mette Fog Olwig 24. The fall and rise of class Andrew Sanchez 25. The politics of ethno-religious violence Madurika Rasaratnam 26. The anthropology of crime Henrik Vigh and David Sausdal 27. Globalization Thomas Hylland Eriksen Index
