Anthropology in and of the Archives: Possible Futures and Contingent Pasts. Archives as Anthropological Surrogates

Posted: 25 Dec 2019

See all articles by David Zeitlyn

David Zeitlyn

Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology

Date Written: October 2012

Abstract

Derrida and Foucault provide key starting points to understanding archives. They see archives as hegemonic, characterizing ways of thought, modes of colonization, and the control of citizens. However, they also make clear that archives can be read subversively. With patience, counter-readings allow the excavation of the voices (sometimes names) of subaltern and otherwise suppressed others from the archive. By reading along and across the archival grain, researchers can follow the development of ideas and processes across historical periods. Archives can be seen as orphanages, containing surrogates of performances. Archives (paper and digital) also provide access to the results of anthropological research in ways mandated by ethics codes, but these are subject to controversy. What sorts of consent and what sorts of anonymization should be provided? Archives run by the groups traditionally studied by anthropologists provide models of radical archives that are very different from those conceived of by traditional archivists.

Suggested Citation

Zeitlyn, David, Anthropology in and of the Archives: Possible Futures and Contingent Pasts. Archives as Anthropological Surrogates (October 2012). Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 41, pp. 461-480, 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2158256 or http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anthro-092611-145721

David Zeitlyn (Contact Author)

Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology ( email )

51 Banbury Rd
Oxford, Oxfordshire OX2 6PF
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.isca.ox.ac.uk/about-us/staff/academic/prof-david-zeitlyn/

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