Structure vs Process - How to look at politics

Compare, contrast, and assess attempts by at least two anthropologists to analyse politics in terms of temporal processes rather than (a-temporal) structure.

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Education & Teaching
Cover of the book Structure vs Process - How to look at politics by Johannes Lenhard, GRIN Verlag
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Johannes Lenhard ISBN: 9783656323792
Publisher: GRIN Verlag Publication: November 28, 2012
Imprint: GRIN Verlag Language: English
Author: Johannes Lenhard
ISBN: 9783656323792
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Publication: November 28, 2012
Imprint: GRIN Verlag
Language: English

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Pedagogy - Science, Theory, Anthropology, grade: 65, University of Cambridge, language: English, abstract: Compare, contrast, and assess attempts by at least two anthropologists to analyse politics in terms of temporal processes rather than (a-temporal) structure. Edmund Leach published his account of the Kachin society in Highland Burma in 1954, fourteen years after Evans-Pritchard's and Fortes' classical structural-functionalist collection on 'African Political Systems'. Only four years after Leach, Barth's 'Swat Pathans' enters the debate. Both Barth and Leach differ remarkably in their methodological approach fousing on change and process. While Radcliffe-Brown (Fortes & Evans-Pritchard, 2006:vi) proclaims in his preface to 'African Political Systems' that the aim of anthropology is to 'discover the universal, essential, characters which belong to all human societies, past, present and future', Leach (Leach, 2004) heavily criticises the implicit underlying assumption of equilibrium. Instead, he focuses on the study of the 'constantly changing environment' and society as 'a process in time' (ibid.:5). As I will argue his process is still very much structural, however. In contrast to structure, Barth makes individual action his centre piece that aggregates to higher political levels in temporal processes. In the following analysis, I will complement my analysis of the two core texts mentioned above with methodological writings comparing Barth's and Leach's account of political processes in Pakistan and Burma respectively.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Pedagogy - Science, Theory, Anthropology, grade: 65, University of Cambridge, language: English, abstract: Compare, contrast, and assess attempts by at least two anthropologists to analyse politics in terms of temporal processes rather than (a-temporal) structure. Edmund Leach published his account of the Kachin society in Highland Burma in 1954, fourteen years after Evans-Pritchard's and Fortes' classical structural-functionalist collection on 'African Political Systems'. Only four years after Leach, Barth's 'Swat Pathans' enters the debate. Both Barth and Leach differ remarkably in their methodological approach fousing on change and process. While Radcliffe-Brown (Fortes & Evans-Pritchard, 2006:vi) proclaims in his preface to 'African Political Systems' that the aim of anthropology is to 'discover the universal, essential, characters which belong to all human societies, past, present and future', Leach (Leach, 2004) heavily criticises the implicit underlying assumption of equilibrium. Instead, he focuses on the study of the 'constantly changing environment' and society as 'a process in time' (ibid.:5). As I will argue his process is still very much structural, however. In contrast to structure, Barth makes individual action his centre piece that aggregates to higher political levels in temporal processes. In the following analysis, I will complement my analysis of the two core texts mentioned above with methodological writings comparing Barth's and Leach's account of political processes in Pakistan and Burma respectively.

More books from GRIN Verlag

Cover of the book Distanziert. Nah by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Der Melierdialog by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Die Bedeutung des Spiels in der kindlichen Entwicklung by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Zur Transaktionsanalyse von Eric Berne by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Wie kam es zur Annexion Sardiniens durch Rom? by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Hollywoodfilme und Kalter Krieg by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Hedge Fonds - Fluch oder Segen des modernen Kapitalismus? by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Wozu Erziehung? Über die Theorie der Erziehung bei Kant und Rousseau by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Analyse der Trainerleistung bei kraftorientiertem Training und Entwurf einer Kurseinheit zum Thema Wirbelsäulengymnastik by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Folgewirkungen des portugiesischen Kolonialismus, aufgezeigt am Länderbeispiel Angola, mit fächerübergreifenden didaktischen und methodischen Überlegungen by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Der Ödipuskomplex am Beispiel von E.T.A. Hoffmanns 'Der Sandmann' by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Eine kritische Analyse des Webster-Wind-Modells und seiner Anwendbarkeit in der Praxis by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Die Evolution des Fahrrads - Von der Laufmaschine zum 'Custom(izing)' Artefakt by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Zu: Eugenio Montale - Ossi di seppia by Johannes Lenhard
Cover of the book Nanotechnologie - Was kommt auf uns zu? by Johannes Lenhard
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy