INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
21-22 SEPTEMBER 2000
FRENCH SOCIETY OF ETHNOLOGY AND UNIVERSITY OF METZ (FRANCE)
The work of Norbert Elias has attracted the attention of historians,
political scientists and sociologists. At a time of renewed interest in
Elias' researches, we would like to examine how his "cross-disciplinary"
thought illuminates the anthropological approach. The conference will
focus on two main topics: - What is the place of anthropology in Elias
work? His work refers explicitly to classics like Radcliffe-Brown, Mead,
Evans-Pritchard, Levi-Strauss. He lived in Africa, where he confronted the
cultural "Other". This experience led him to reconsider European culture
and more broadly the epistemological position of self-distanciation. - How
can Elias' works enrich anthropology? Apart from occasional references to
Elias in recent anthropological writing, there has been no systematic
attempt to incorporate his perspective into the various fields to which it
is obviously relevant. These might include : uses of the body, everyday
life, organisation of public and private space, etc; concepts such as
habitus, process, interiorisation, etc; and the definition of "culture".
This conference, beyond paying homage to Elias, wants to stimulate a
critical reading of Elias' works. We will explore the heuristic value and
formative potential of his thought for contemporary anthropology.
For more information, including conditions of financial support, please
contact Sophie Chevalier.
The official languages of the conference will be : French, German and
English
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