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Culture Quote by William Roseberry

“The incompatibility here [between some anthropologies] rests with basic attitudes toward cultural others, which in turn rests on fundamentally different understandings of history. The one sees the Other as different and *separate,* a product of its own history and carrying its own hitoricity...The…” quote by William Roseberry
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““The incompatibility here [between some anthropologies] rests with basic attitudes toward cultural others, which in turn rests on fundamentally different understandings of history. The one sees the Other as different and *separate,* a product of its own history and carrying its own hitoricity...The second sees the Other as different but *connected,* a product of a particular history that is itself intertwined with a larger set of economic, political, social, and cultural processes to such an extent that analytical separation of "our" history and "their" history is impossible. In this view, there are no cultures-outside-of-history to be reconstructed, no culture without history, no culture or society "with its own structure and history" to which world-historical forces arrive.””

William Roseberry

About This Quote

Source Article: Cultural Anthropology Review, 2015

Different scholars view the 'Other' either as separate or as intertwined with shared history, shaping analysis.

In simple terms: Two ways to see other cultures.

Key Takeaway

Recognize interconnected histories.

Themes

anthropology history culture

Mood

analytical critical

Type

theoretical scholarly

When to use this quote

  • museum curation
  • academic research
  • policy making

Key Concepts

relativism postcolonial theory historical analysis

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does seeing others as connected change research?
  • What challenges arise when separating histories?
A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex identities into binary views.

2.4 out of 5 (6 ratings)

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