Anthropologists Quote by Bernadette Devlin
“Should an anthropologist or a sociologist be looking for a bizarre society to study, I would suggest he come to Ulster. It is one of Europe's oddest countries. Here, in the middle of the twentieth century, with modern technology transforming everybody's lives, you find a medieval mentality that is being dragged painfully into the eighteenth century by some forward-looking people.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on Ulster, 1970s (public address)
The speaker highlights Ulster’s paradox of modern technology coexisting with a medieval mindset, creating cultural tension.
In simple terms: Ulster mixes modern tech with old‑fashioned thinking
Key Takeaway
Recognize cultural contradictions and adapt thoughtfully
Themes
culture
modernity
tradition
tension
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
analytical
observational
When to use this quote
- political negotiations
- social reform
- community development
Key Concepts
sociology
anthropology
cultural lag
Questions to Reflect On
- How does tradition hinder progress?
- What strategies bridge old and new mindsets?
A Different Perspective
Modern change may be resisted by entrenched traditions.
![“Anthropology has always struggled with an intense, fascinated repulsion towards its subject… [The anthropologist] submits himself to the exotic to confirm his own inner alienation as an urban intellectual.” quote by Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fe1/susan-sontag-332_alienation_anthropology-has-always-struggled-with-a_15322.jpg)
