Limits of ‘culture ethnography’: for a critique of contemporary ethnographic practice in the light of Eric Wolf's work
In this essay, we intend to outline a critique of the specialized notion of ethnography, fundamentally, that practiced around the study of cultural regularities, in societies characterized from an alleged "lesser social differentiation". This will be done by reviewing the consistent work o...
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| Language: | Portuguese |
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Universidade Estadual de Campinas
2007
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| Online Access: | https://econtents.sbu.unicamp.br/inpec/index.php/tematicas/article/view/13652 |
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| author | Contreras, Raúl Ortiz Contreras, Raúl Ortiz Contreras, Raúl Ortiz |
| author_facet | Contreras, Raúl Ortiz Contreras, Raúl Ortiz Contreras, Raúl Ortiz |
| author_sort | Contreras, Raúl Ortiz |
| collection | Portal da Incubadora de Periódicos Científicos, Acadêmicos e Educacionais |
| container_reference | Tematicas; Vol. 15 No. 30 (2007): Cultura e Política; 109-140 |
| description | In this essay, we intend to outline a critique of the specialized notion of ethnography, fundamentally, that practiced around the study of cultural regularities, in societies characterized from an alleged "lesser social differentiation". This will be done by reviewing the consistent work of anthropologist Eric R. Wolf (1923-1999), which, in my view, represents one of the most original and most theoretical-methodological forms regarding the use of ethnography in the construction of empirical knowledge in both social sciences and anthropology. The cardinal idea that runs through the text warns that instead of studying clearly defined units, structures or cultures, ethnography should focus on the detailed description of 'fields of relations', giving relevance, therefore, to the exposure of historical processes and ideologies in production that make up the social phenomenon. |
| first_indexed | 2025-10-08T14:38:53Z |
| format | Online |
| id | ojs-article-13652 |
| institution | Universidade Estadual de Campinas |
| issn | 2595-315X |
| language | por |
| last_indexed | 2025-10-08T14:38:53Z |
| publishDate | 2007 |
| publisher | Universidade Estadual de Campinas |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | ojs-article-136522021-04-28T14:26:58Z Limits of ‘culture ethnography’: for a critique of contemporary ethnographic practice in the light of Eric Wolf's work Límites de la 'etnografía de la cultura': para una crítica de la práctica etnográfica contemporánea a la luz del trabajo de Eric Wolf Limites da ‘etnografia da cultura’ : para uma crítica da prática etnográfica contemporânea à luz da obra de Eric Wolf Contreras, Raúl Ortiz Contreras, Raúl Ortiz Contreras, Raúl Ortiz Etnografia da cultura História Ideologia Eric Wolf Culture ethnography History Ideology Eric Wolf Etnografia da cultura História Ideologia Eric Wolf In this essay, we intend to outline a critique of the specialized notion of ethnography, fundamentally, that practiced around the study of cultural regularities, in societies characterized from an alleged "lesser social differentiation". This will be done by reviewing the consistent work of anthropologist Eric R. Wolf (1923-1999), which, in my view, represents one of the most original and most theoretical-methodological forms regarding the use of ethnography in the construction of empirical knowledge in both social sciences and anthropology. The cardinal idea that runs through the text warns that instead of studying clearly defined units, structures or cultures, ethnography should focus on the detailed description of 'fields of relations', giving relevance, therefore, to the exposure of historical processes and ideologies in production that make up the social phenomenon. En este ensayo pretendemos esbozar una crítica a la noción especializada de etnografía, fundamentalmente, que se practica en torno al estudio de las regularidades culturales, en sociedades caracterizadas por una supuesta "menor diferenciación social". Esto se hará a través de la revisión del trabajo constante del antropólogo Eric R. Wolf (1923-1999), que, en mi opinión, representa una de las formas más originales y teórico-metodológicas sobre el uso de la etnografía en la construcción de conocimiento empírico tanto en las ciencias sociales como en la antropología. La idea cardinal que recorre el texto advierte que en lugar de estudiar unidades, estructuras o culturas claramente delimitadas, la etnografía debe centrarse en la descripción detallada de 'campos de relaciones', dando relevancia, por tanto, a la exposición de procesos históricos e ideologías en la producción. que componen el fenómeno social. Neste ensaio pretende-se esboçar uma crítica à noção especializada de etnografia, fundamentalmente, àquela praticada em torno do estudo de regularidades culturais, em sociedades caracterizadas a partir de uma suposta "menor diferenciação social". Isso será feito a partir da revisão do consistente trabalho do antropólogo Eric R. Wolf (1923-1999), que, a meu ver, representa uma das formas mais originais e de maior alcance teórico-metodológico a respeito da utilização da etnografia na construção de conhecimento empírico tanto nas ciências sociais quanto na antropologia. A idéia cardeal que atravessa o texto adverte que em lugar de estudar unidades, estruturas ou culturas claramente delimitadas, a etnografia deve se enfocar na descrição detalhada de 'campos de relações', dando relevância, portanto, à exposição dos processos históricos e das ideologias em produção que compõem o fenômeno social. Universidade Estadual de Campinas 2007-07-02 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Texto Text Texto application/pdf https://econtents.sbu.unicamp.br/inpec/index.php/tematicas/article/view/13652 10.20396/tematicas.v15i30.13652 Tematicas; Vol. 15 No. 30 (2007): Cultura e Política; 109-140 Tematicas; Vol. 15 Núm. 30 (2007): Cultura e Política; 109-140 Tematicas; v. 15 n. 30 (2007): Cultura e Política; 109-140 2595-315X por https://econtents.sbu.unicamp.br/inpec/index.php/tematicas/article/view/13652/8951 Brazil; Contemporary Brasil; Contemporáneo Brasil; Contemporâneo Copyright (c) 2007 Raúl Ortiz Contreras https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 |
| spellingShingle | Contreras, Raúl Ortiz Contreras, Raúl Ortiz Contreras, Raúl Ortiz Etnografia da cultura História Ideologia Eric Wolf Culture ethnography History Ideology Eric Wolf Etnografia da cultura História Ideologia Eric Wolf Limits of ‘culture ethnography’: for a critique of contemporary ethnographic practice in the light of Eric Wolf's work |
| title | Limits of ‘culture ethnography’: for a critique of contemporary ethnographic practice in the light of Eric Wolf's work |
| title_full | Limits of ‘culture ethnography’: for a critique of contemporary ethnographic practice in the light of Eric Wolf's work |
| title_fullStr | Limits of ‘culture ethnography’: for a critique of contemporary ethnographic practice in the light of Eric Wolf's work |
| title_full_unstemmed | Limits of ‘culture ethnography’: for a critique of contemporary ethnographic practice in the light of Eric Wolf's work |
| title_short | Limits of ‘culture ethnography’: for a critique of contemporary ethnographic practice in the light of Eric Wolf's work |
| title_sort | limits of ‘culture ethnography’: for a critique of contemporary ethnographic practice in the light of eric wolf's work |
| topic | Etnografia da cultura História Ideologia Eric Wolf Culture ethnography History Ideology Eric Wolf Etnografia da cultura História Ideologia Eric Wolf |
| url | https://econtents.sbu.unicamp.br/inpec/index.php/tematicas/article/view/13652 |
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