The status of Anthropology in post-independent Africa: Some reflections on Archie Mafeje's perceptions

• Published in: African sociological review Vol. 2; no. 1; pp. 57 - 66
• Main Author: Nkwi, Paul Nchoji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) 01-01-1998
• Subjects: Academic Disciplines; Africa; Anthropologists; Anthropology; Interdisciplinary Approach; Pan-Africanism; Professional Associations; RESPONSES TO ARCHIE MAFEJE'S MONOGRAPH
• ISSN: 1027-4332

A response to Archie Mafeje's "Anthropology and Independent Africans: Suicide or End of an Era?" (1998) examines the history & implications of the withdrawal of African anthropologists from ethnographic research in the 1960s & 1970s, critical years for nationalist movements & liberation struggles. Many considered the discipline's study of native life a perpetuating factor of colonialism, & disparate views of the anthropological vision led to fragmentation, rather than constructive collaboration. The additional obstacle of decreasing funds for research led many scholars to migrate to areas more receptive to scholarship. Regardless, it is argued that anthropology is not only alive & well in Africa, but has expanded to encompass studies of the self, as well as the Other. Emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach is seen as a positive development that allows anthropologists to broaden their vision based on an understanding of other perspectives. The 1988 creation of the Pan African Assoc of Anthropologists & its subsequent activities are described, & the future prospects of African anthropology are examined. 12 References. J. Lindroth