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"The idea of etnos came into being over a hundred years ago as a way of understanding the collective identities of people with a common language and shared traditions. In the twentieth century, the concept came to be associated with Soviet state-building, and it fell sharply out of favour. Yet outside the academy, etnos-style arguments not only persist, but are a vibrant part of regional anthropological traditions. Life Histories of Etnos Theory in Russia and Beyond makes a powerful argument for reconsidering the importance of etnos in our understanding of ethnicity and national identity across Eurasia. The collection brings to life a rich archive of previously unpublished letters, fieldnote...
Thirty years after the fall of the Soviet Union, the 1917 Revolution still looms large: not only because Russians remain divided over whether the revolution arrived forcibly or inevitably and whether it was a colossally tragic or colossally generative event, but also because its social, cultural, scientific, and even moral residues remain everywhere in Putin’s Russia. Revolutionary Aftereffects looks at the ways in which 1917 has been and continues to be commemorated in Russia. Although post-Soviet Russia has emphasized its complete break with the past, this study of the memorialization and legacy of 1917 explores a fundamental continuity underlying an apparent discourse of discontinuity in post-socialist Russia. Contributors provide insight into the continuing reverberations of the revolution from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including history and literary studies as well as heritage studies, anthropology, geography, and sociology. Collectively, these essays demonstrate the changing nature of the revolution’s memorialization in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia and the ambivalence and contradictions within those narratives.
The forgotten story of a surprising anti-imperial, nationalist project at the turn of the twentieth century: a grassroots movement of Russian Jews to racialize themselves. In the rapidly nationalizing Russian Empire of the late nineteenth century, Russian Jews grew increasingly concerned about their future. Jews spoke different languages and practiced different traditions. They had complex identities and no territorial homeland. Their inability to easily conform to new standards of nationality meant a future of inevitable assimilation or second-class minority citizenship. The solution proposed by Russian Jewish intellectuals was to ground Jewish nationhood in a structure deeper than culture ...
The Histories of Anthropology Annual presents localized perspectives on the discipline’s history within a global context, with a goal of increasing awareness and use of historical approaches in teaching, learning, and conducting anthropology. This tenth volume of the series, Local Knowledge, Global Stage, examines worldwide historical trends of anthropology ranging from the assertion that all British anthropology is a study of the Old Testament to the discovery of the untranslated shorthand notes of pioneering anthropologist Franz Boas. Other topics include archival research into the study of Vancouver Island’s indigenous languages, explorations of the Christian notion of virgin births in Edwin Sidney Hartland’s The Legend of Perseus, and the Canadian government’s implementation of European-model farms as a way to undermine Native culture. In addition to Boas and Hartland, the essays explore the research and personalities of Susan Golla, Claude Lévi-Strauss, and others.
Rising from the Ashes explores continuing Native American political, social, and cultural survival and resilience with a focus on the life of Numiipuu (Nez Perce) anthropologist Archie M. Phinney. He lived through tumultuous times as the Bureau of Indian Affairs implemented the Indian Reorganization Act, and he built a successful career as an indigenous nationalist, promoting strong, independent American Indian nations. Rising from the Ashes analyzes concepts of indigenous nationalism and notions of American Indian citizenship before and after tribes found themselves within the boundaries of the United States. Collaborators provide significant contributions to studies of Numiipuu memory, lan...
Lifestyle in Siberia and the Russian North breaks new ground by exploring the concept of lifestyle from a distinctly anthropological perspective. Showcasing the collective work of ten experienced scholars in the field, the book goes beyond concepts of tradition that have often been the focus of previous research, to explain how political, economic and technological changes in Russia have created a wide range of new possibilities and constraints in the pursuit of different ways of life. Each contribution is drawn from meticulous first-hand field research, and the authors engage with theoretical questions such as whether and how the concept of lifestyle can be extended beyond its conventionall...
Unique account of how ordinary people shaped Soviet-American relations in the 1930s told through the adventures of two Russian humourists.
This book offers a brief introduction to the anthropological study of Russia. Moving beyond the conceptual iron curtain that has divided past study of Russia into "East" and "West," it situates Russia in a global context and provides readers with all of the necessary analytical tools for understanding the complex cultural and social configurations of the contemporary Russian Federation. Based on extensive fieldwork in Russia, it offers unique insights into a number of cultural configurations--including socialism, violence, mythology, colonialism, nationalism, gender, memory, democracy, media, and art. Through the use of interesting case studies and ethnographic "snapshots," the author has produced a lively and engaging overview of Russia's cultural meaning and significance.
Der 80. Todestag von Franz Boas fällt in eine Zeit irritierender gesellschaftlicher Diskurse und politischer Umbrüche mit kriegerischen Auseinandersetzungen, bei der vor allem auch Wissenschaftler und Wissenschaftlerinnen gefordert sind, Haltung zu zeigen - und wofür das Leben und Werk von Franz Boas beispielhaft Orientierung geben kann. Dieser Blick auf seine Persönlichkeit steht in diesem Buch im Vordergrund. Daneben wird der Entwicklung seiner ethnologischen und linguistischen Methoden nachgegangen und wie sich Franz Boas dabei gegenüber seinen indigenen Mitarbeitern und Kollegen verhielt. Schließlich nimmt das Buch auch Bezug auf identitätspolitische Debatten, wie sie zurzeit bei uns geführt werden, und auf die aktuellen politischen Verwerfungen in Russland. Franz Boas konnte vor 100 Jahren ähnliche Entwicklungen in Deutschland und in der Sowjetunion mitverfolgen und nahm dazu vor allem im ersteren Fall dezidiert und entschlossen Stellung auf der Grundlage seiner humanitären Einstellung und seines profunden Wissens. Somit sucht das Buch ebenfalls Antworten auf Fragen, welche sich der Wissenschaft und uns allen gerade heute in ähnlich schwierigen Zeiten stellen.
In The Will to Predict, Eglė Rindzevičiūtė demonstrates how the logic of scientific expertise cannot be properly understood without knowing the conceptual and institutional history of scientific prediction. She notes that predictions of future population, economic growth, environmental change, and scientific and technological innovation have shaped much of twentieth and twenty-first-century politics and social life, as well as government policies. Today, such predictions are more necessary than ever as the world undergoes dramatic environmental, political, and technological change. But, she asks, what does it mean to predict scientifically? What are the limits of scientific prediction an...