Conceptualizing Iranian Anthropology - by Shahnaz R Nadjmabadi (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

During recent years, attempts have been made to move beyond the Eurocentric perspective that characterized the social sciences, especially anthropology, for over 150 years. A debate on the "anthropology of anthropology" was needed, one that would consider other forms of knowledge, modalities of writing, and political and intellectual practices. This volume undertakes that challenge: it is the result of discussions held at the first organized encounter between Iranian, American, and European anthropologists since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. It is considered an important first step in overcoming the dichotomy between "peripheral anthropologies" versus "central anthropologies." The contributors examine, from a critical perspective, the historical, cultural, and political field in which anthropological research emerged in Iran at the beginning of the twentieth century and in which it continues to develop today.

Review Quotes

"...the authors have put forward an urgent case for making Iranian anthropology a credible contributor to the production of disciplinary knowledge...this volume highly informative. It provides an impetus for the collectivity of Iranian anthropologists to start reflecting within multiple spaces and in broader frames on the history and the present-day development of the discipline in Iran." - Anthropology of the Middle East

"The revolution provided a cusp that allowed "the anthropology in and of Iran" to accentuate the transition from the age of postcolonialism to the age of globalization and anthropology's accommodation of that transition. This book is also important for the number of references it provides to postrevolutionary publications that have escaped other bibliographies." - International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies

"In all, these useful and informative articles assess the status of anthropology of/in Iran realistically, even candidly... [They] reflect the cautiously optimistic attitude at the time of the conference, a hopefulness that meanwhile has withered...[and] illustrate the difficulties of transplanting a young social science based on humanism and curiosity (rather than pragmatism) to a society that is distrustful of intellectual pursuits deemed as potentially dangerous to an authoritarian state." - Anthropos

"The authors present an incisive and illuminating overview of Iranian anthropology...Despite [considerable] difficulties, the authors uniformly demonstrate a reflexive, ethically responsible, and politically aware anthropology and offer valuable insights about the greater emphasis on problem-focused research by Iranian anthropologists and the potential for a valuable future role for applied anthropology in Iran." - Choice

"This book... is certainly an indispensable tool for anyone interested in anthropological research on the country. Essays are accompanied by bibliographies that often contain hidden or forgotten treasures. A comprehensive bibliography of anthropological studies of Iran in English collated by Hegland completes the book." - JRAI