Reversed Gaze: An African Ethnography of American Anthropology

by Mwenda Ntarangwi

Overview

Deftly illustrating how life circumstances can influence ethnographic fieldwork, Mwenda Ntarangwi focuses on his experiences as a Kenyan anthropology student and professional anthropologist practicing in the United States and Africa. Whereas Western anthropologists often study non-Western cultures, Mwenda Ntarangwi reverses these common roles and studies the Western culture of anthropology from an outsider's viewpoint while considering larger debates about race, class, power, and the representation of the "other." Tracing his own immersion into American anthropology, Ntarangwi identifies textbooks, ethnographies, coursework, professional meetings, and feedback from colleagues and mentors that were key to his development.
 
Reversed Gaze enters into a growing anthropological conversation on representation and self-reflexivity that ethnographers have come to regard as standard anthropological practice, opening up new dialogues in the field by allowing anthropologists to see the role played by subjective positions in shaping knowledge production and consumption. Recognizing the cultural and racial biases that shape anthropological study, this book reveals the potential for diverse participation and more democratic decision making in the identity and process of the profession.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780252077692
Publisher:	University of Illinois Press
Publication date:	11/01/2010
Edition description:	1st Edition
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Mwenda Ntarangwi is an associate professor of anthropology at Calvin College and the author of East African Hip Hop: Youth Culture and Globalization and Gender Identity and Performance.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Acknowledgments xv

1 Imagining Anthropology, Encountering America 1

2 Tripping on Race, Training Anthropologists 24

3 Of Monkeys, Africans, and the Pursuit of the Other 52

4 Remembering Home, Contrasting Experiences 78

5 Mega-Anthropology: The AAA Annual Meetings 101

6 A New Paradigm for Twenty-First-Century Anthropology? 126

Notes 153

Bibliography 165

Index 177

Editorial Reviews

"An intriguing book. . . . Highly recommended."--Choice
 
"Ntarangwi fills a huge gap in the burgeoning reflexive literature in anthropology, which has been predominately produced by Westerners. Eminently accessible and engaging, this book demonstrates that critique need not be a destructive exercise."--Faye V. Harrison, author of Outsider Within: Reworking Anthropology in the Global Age

"By overtly coupling methodology, practice, reflexivity, and theory, Ntarangwi emphasizes the discipline's tenets of holistic, long-term community engagement ideally suited to provide cultural competency, which goes a long way in demonstrating professional relevancy."--African Studies Quarterly

"A novel ethnography of the contemporary United States, a critical call for new anthropology, and a much-needed critique of the anthropology field. Showing flashes of humor, regular reflexivity, and approachability, this book engages practicing anthropologists as well as aspiring professionals."--C. Richard King, author of Sport in the Pacific: Colonial and Postcolonial Consequences

"A timely and welcome piece."--Anthropology Review Database

From the Publisher