Alienation Quote by Susan Sontag
![“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)
“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.”
About This Quote
The quote critiques how anthropologists, driven by both curiosity and discomfort, exoticize their subjects to validate their own sense of alienation within modern society.
In simple terms: Anthropology exoticizes subjects to reflect the scholar's alienation.
Key Takeaway
Scholars project personal dislocation onto studied cultures.
Themes
anthropology
exoticism
self-reflection
urban intellectualism
cultural alienation
Mood
critical
reflective
skeptical
Type
critical
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic fieldwork
- cultural analysis
- urban elite discourse
Key Concepts
subjectivity
power dynamics
identity
othering
Practical Applications
- critical self-awareness in research
- reframing ethnographic narratives
Questions to Reflect On
- How does a researcher's background shape their interpretation?
- What responsibilities do scholars have when representing 'the other'?
