South Africa- Anthropology or Anthropologies?

Introduction

Context of Research: Understanding the geopolitical context of African and European interactions, particularly focusing on the narratives of both Africans visiting Europe and Europeans visiting Africa.
Research Funding Dynamics: Discusses how Western funding influences research agendas and priorities, therefore hindering the potential for independent anthropological perspectives originating from within the African context.

Apartheid's Influence: How apartheid from 1948-1990 shaped the ideological landscape of anthropology in South Africa, leading it to be submissive to oppressive policies.
Knowledge Production: Highlights how anthropology was used to justify existing socio-political structures and critiques the lack of global recognition for African-originated anthropology.

Colonial Foundations: South African anthropology's roots in British social anthropology, primarily from the University of Cape Town starting in the 1920s.
- Liberal vs. Segregationist Responses: The contrasting responses of early anthropologists to apartheid policies, with some actively opposing while others contributed to the state's census efforts on culture.
Volkekunde vs. Social Anthropology:
- Volkekunde: A form of ethnology that inherently supported apartheid ideologies, emphasizing racial and cultural essentialism.
- Key Figures: Examination of individuals like Werner Eiselen, whose work was pivotal in shaping volkekunde that aligned with government agendas.

Shifts Post-Apartheid: The transition and establishment of new anthropology associations like ASnA, a unifying body for various anthropological approaches in South Africa post-1990.
Struggles for Representation: The lack of inclusion of black South African voices and how historical divisions continue to influence current practices.

Epistemological Concerns: How current anthropological work continues to grapple with issues of race and identity, often framing black subjects as "other."
Focus on Social Suffering: Caution against narrowing anthropological inquiry solely to issues of suffering and inequality, potentially missing broader social dynamics.
Engagement Beyond Borders: The necessity for South African anthropologists to engage more deeply with regional and pan-African issues in the global anthropological dialogue.

Future Directions: A call for a more critical anthropology that not only addresses socio-political transformations in South Africa but also incorporates regional dynamics and the plurality of anthropological voices.