A Companion To The Anthropology Of Africa

Anthropology conducted in Africa has been central to the methodological and theoretical development of the discipline since it was first institutionalized in the late 19th century. Written and edited by a team of leading cultural anthropologists on the subject, A Companion to the Anthropology of Africa compiles a collection of insightful essays that address all aspects of life on the continent of Africa. Chapters within explore the extent to which anthropological thinking on this topic has been, or remains, influenced by the theoretical traditions, whilst others consider the extent to which anthropological thinking has been transformed by growing interest in using anthropological knowledge to critically address practical concerns and public problems such as war, poverty, and public health.

This Companion is presented in four parts. The first part looks at enduring themes—tracing the development of anthropological thinking and the current debates about themes such as witchcraft, kinship, law and justice that have demonstrated remarkable staying power in the anthropology of Africa. The second section considers topics that began to garner attention during decolonization and in its immediate aftermath. Such topics include mobility and displacement, urbanism, and political violence. The third part comprises topics such as trauma, social justice, sex and sexuality that have become the central concern of anthropologists of Africa since its many nations gained their independence. It also looks at ‘hot topics’ like social media, humanitarianism, and environmentality. The final section considers the role that Africanist anthropology has played in informing other Africanist disciplines, and reflects on the politics of representation within the discipline as well.

Filled with a wide variety of expert opinions and observations across chapters which are highly sophisticated in their coverage, A Companion to the Anthropology of Africa is an essential reference resource for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researching anthropologists.

Roy Richard Grinker is Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at the George Washington University, USA. He is Editor-in-Chief of Anthropological Quarterly and his past book publications include the co-edited Perspectives on Africa: A Reader in Culture, History, and Representation (Wiley Blackwell, 2010) and Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism (2007).

Stephen C. Lubkemann is a sociocultural anthropologist who has done extensive fieldwork in Mozambique, South Africa, Angola, and Liberia. He is Associate Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at the George Washington University, USA. Past publications include Culture in Chaos: An Anthropology of the Social Condition in War (2008), the co-edited volume Perspectives on Africa: A Reader in Culture, History, and Representation (Wiley Blackwell, 2010), and the co-authored United States Institute of Peace report Looking for Justice: Liberian Experiences with and Perceptions of Local Justice Options (2009).

Christopher B. Steiner is the Lucy C. McDannel '22 Professor of Art History and Anthropology at Connecticut College, USA, where he also serves as Director of Museum Studies. Past book publications include African Art in Transit (1994), the co-edited Perspectives on Africa: A Reader in Culture, History, and Representation (Wiley Blackwell, 2010) and Africa in the Market: Twentieth-Century Art from the Amrad African Art Collection (2016).

Euclides Gonçalves is a social anthropologist and Director at Kaleidoscopio – Research in Public Policy and Culture – in Maputo, Mozambique. He is also a research associate at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER) at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. Gonçalves has published on topics such as governance, bureaucratic processes, and political rituals in scholarly journals, including African Affairs, The Journal of Contemporary African Studies, and World Development.