Description
Book SynopsisWisdom From the Edge describes what anthropologists can do to contribute to the social and cultural changes that shape a social future of wellbeing and viability. Paul Stoller shows how anthropologists can develop sensuously described ethnographic narratives to communicate powerfully their insights to a wide range of audiences. These insights are filled with wisdom about how respect for nature is central to the future of humankind. Stoller demonstrates how the ethnographic evocation of space and place, the honing of dialogue, and the crafting of character depict the drama of social life, and borrows techniques from film, poetry, and fiction to expand the appeal of anthropological knowledge and heighten its ability to connect the public to the idiosyncrasies of people and locale. Ultimately, Wisdom from the Edge underscores the importance of recognizing and applying indigenous wisdom to the social problems that threaten the future.
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Writing Ethnography in Turbulent Times
Part I: The Senses in Artful Ethnography
1. Imaging Knowledge: Artful Vision in Slow Research
2. In the Shade of the Jujube Tree
3. Sensory Dimensions of Spirit Possession
4. Tasting Harmony in the World
Part II: The Wisdom of the Elders
5. Peripheral Knowledge and the Imponderables of the Between
6. Th e World According to Rouch
7. Wisdom from the Edge of the Village
Coda
