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ANTH326 PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAMeeting 6: Flesh and Blood
October 13, 2010
Both
History in Anthropological Frame
Anthropologists using/doing history Historian on ethnicity Ethnohistory Particularism
Africa Perceived
Infantilization Ignorance Contradictory tropes Circulation of tropes Pop culture Media coverage (Comaroffs on Time)
Rescue narrative Ethnographic journalism
Comaroffs
Jean and John Comaroffs
Current anthropology Non-radical particularism Ethnographic approach Writing style Both from ZA
Modernity
Continuity Foucault Modernist self
Individualism
Contact
Africa and Europe Pre-Scramble Africa Variety of outcomes Exchange
Colonialism
Empire Not all imposed Hegemony Civilizing mission
Mission
Proselytism Wesleyan Pragmatism Objectified power
Livingstone
London Missionary Society Obstetrics Gender Intimacy Modernized?
Parallel Newton
Soft Relativism
Learn from locals Contextual adaptation
Parallel therapeutic traditions Therapeutic repertoire
Exotic knowledge Remaining importance of imported medicine
Pragmatic Social expediency
Negative Impact on Health
West Africa as white man's grave “Diseases of civilization” (lifestyle diseases) Maggi cubes
Medicine
Body and soul dualism Africa as Lab Pasteur revolution
Medical Anthropology Classics
Subsistence strategies Hot/cold
Tepidness What perceived as disease/illness
Significance of barrenness
Hygiene
Grease/grace Cleanliness/Godliness Douglas on cleansing
Matter out of place Ablutions
Parallel Islam?
“Moral Hygiene”
Health and morals as connected Morality and mortality Moral side of health Strong connections
Straw cabin, roof, and dress
Social “Ills”
Social body Sociosomatic healing Back to causal
Belief Systems
Beliefs and science Beliefs and healing Ritual healing (Roberts) Secrecy
Secret Bible Conflicting ideas about resurrection
Contemporary Echoes
Neo-Colonialism Development MSF and experimenting (Lab Africa) AIDS
Transition
Syncretism
Belief systems African Christianity Voodoo Beliefs changing
Across generations
Syncretization
Mix-and-match/pick-and-choose? Not haphazard Fertile ground Compartmentalization Fluidity Counterpoint
Creole
Creole identity Creole languages Central African Republic
Racialism
Division of humanity as “races” Leading to racism But also anti-racist Telegraphing Afrocentrists Emergence of genetics Sociobiology Eugenics
Roberts
Africa Outside Continent
Still African studies Africa created by colonialism Pan-Africanism Slave trade
Diversity
Through diverse African origins Through diverse experiences
Ethnic Identity
Segu Empire Bounded entity?
Fluidity Bazin «À chacun son bambara» (“To Each Their
Own Bambara”) Constructed identities
Back to Southall Labels
Bambara
Ethnonym From outside Bamanan Rejection of Islam
Folk etymology Now identified as Muslim
Mande languages
Glossonyms Maninka (Malinke) Not necessarily Mande identity Related families