Review: Think like an Anthropologist

After reading this book, I was still not sure what an anthropologist was, let alone how to think like one.

I had to search the definition on google to make sure I had a basic definition to work off for this review — ‘a field of study concerning human societies and cultures and their development’. More clarity on this basic working definition of the field would have been useful for a reader new to the discipline.

The key points argued in the book are somewhat obfuscated by the abundance of drawn out case studies. It was not until the conclusion that anthropology’s distinction from other social sciences such as sociology or politics, became clearer. Anthropology differs from these disciplines, Engelke argues, because it takes into consideration ‘local knowledge’.

But how exactly does this field of study incorporate local knowledge? I would have liked more of an explicit focus on research methods that are used by anthropologists. This would have given sharper focus and clarity to the book. Instead, Engelke simply throws up in the air a range of questions considered by those working in the discipline — exploring critiques of concepts such as civilisation, value, debt, familial relations, authenticity, and race. The anthropologist explores these concepts through a range of cultural lenses — or ‘contrapuntal readings’ in the words of Edward Said — to uncover new meanings. I know anthropologists are concerned with such ideas but I still don’t fully understand how they go about finding the answers…

I suppose the point is that anthropology has never been a clearly defined or distinct field, which as like any academic discipline is constantly evolving. I just wish the author could have found a way to put this across in a more accessible way.