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