Contextualization Research - Essay Example on Anthropology

Anthropology in the context of urban is referred to as urban anthropology. This paper offers insight on an analysis of an academic journal article, Urban Anthropology written by Giuliana B. Prato and Italo Pardo (Prato & Pardo, 2003). This academic journal article was written in the context of discussing academic disciplinary that led early anthropologists to study tribal societies. Special attention is given to geopolitics in the urban region and how it has influenced the anthropologists in addressing the process of urbanization. This article was authored against a backdrop of urban anthropology becoming predominant in other academic studies particularly in sociology and had limitations to attain a status in anthropology. It was written in the year 2013. Of great interest is an aspect of major debates that went on during that period to develop the sub-discipline to reinforce the complex methodology and theoretical setbacks involved in the field study in the urban setting. This academic journal made finding that in the recent past, many people have been able to engage in research in cities. There is a concern as half of the humanities are living in urban regions such as cities and towns (Low, 1999).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Analysis.

Introduction

This paper presents an analysis of the text by Giuliana B. Prato and Italo Pardo. This is an academic journal that was documented to offer an empirical anthropological analysis of urban regions. The current analysis emphases on the facts and various insights offered by the two authors as they focused their base on the ongoing debate of academic events.

The article posits that urban anthropology is a relatively new field of study in regards to socio-cultural anthropology. According to the article, while twentieth-century sociologists presented careful consideration to the study of urban areas and urban phenomena, whereas, social and cultural anthropologists ignored this imperative field of examination. One purpose behind such a decision was established in late-nineteenth century disciplinary divisions, distinguishing cultural and social anthropology as chiefly concerned with the comparative study of non-Western communities and cultures. To improve, until generally as of late, following the scholarly classification, the anthropology focused on purported "primitive" social orders (generally depicted as 'tribal', 'extraordinary', which was also described as 'tribal and 'exotic' or 'society') On the other, hand Western industrial society was the chosen realm of the enquiry on sociological element (Prato & Pardo, 2003).

The article posit that there had not been intense studies on the subject matter in the 1970s until the late of the same approached is then that many scholars established various books and articles since it drew the anthropologists attention to debate the urban context.

The article points out on the geo-politics. The writers claim; however defined, the rise of urban anthropology, and its becoming stronger, can sensibly be seen as an outcome of historical events, for its improvement has been characteristically connected to overall geo-political changes and their effect on the discipline as an entirety. The writers also argue that today like never before, this is unmistakably the case. More than quite a few years, changing, despite the fact that as a general rule quick procedures of urbanization in supposed tribal social orders and the emergency of European colonialism have postured new setbacks to anthropologists who started to turn their attention regarding Western industrial society, the alleged 'complex societies'. In my opinion, brief, for a clear understanding of what it precisely is and what it examines, this sub-field must be contextualized within the custom of socio-cultural anthropology, taking properly into account the disciplinary and paradigmatic changes that have happened at fundamental historical points.

The journal article offers a literature review of existing relevant studies that have been presented by various anthropologists. This is given in the context of urban regions and also elaborated on how they influence the subject.

Firstly, the study elaborates the European community, with specific reference to Celtic and Irish people group and urban settings in the Mediterranean Area. This approach, in this case, developed as a trend among Anglophone anthropologists who were mainly the North American and English. Since the 1960s, there had existed a proliferation of Mediterranean ethnographies, especially on Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal (albeit, topographically this is not a Mediterranean nation), Turkey (to some extent considered amongst Europe and the Middle East) and, to a lesser degree, France, for France had its own convention of Anthropology 'at home'. All things considered, examination in provincial groups kept on being considered for the most part as the investigation of small-scale, independent societies.

As time went by, there was an element of studying a region of interests, especially of ones origin. However, the British anthropologists disregarded and posited that it is, poor mans anthropology, as neither testing nor serious scholarship (Cohen 1985). As this study illustrate, these group turned their attention on Celtic and Irish societies. The communities, however, urban were regarded to be remote from this school of thought for a comprehensive urban anthropological study (Prato & Pardo, 2003).

The academic journal article offers great insight on the diversification of urban anthropology. There was a vast publication on urban anthropology in the 1990s. In the USA, take, for instance, anthropologists started to examine topics such as the dynamics of inherited wealth (Marcus, 1980) as well as Congressional patronage. In the same light, there was rejuvenated interest in areas such as on ethnic minority and majority in the urban region, the new migrants, gender and education in the urban. A major concern was directed to religious identities as well as the ethnic aspect of the urban USA.

This article culminates by giving a brief overview of the Urban Europe and how it occurred to be more diversified. The research in Britain majorly focused on ethnic groups, power relations, and workplace crimes

In conclusion, this journal article has offered great insight on empirical anthropological analysis of urban regions with special attention given to the history as well as the development of anthropology among scholars and anthropologists. It looked into the effect of geopolitics and how it impacts anthropology.

References

Cohen, Anthony P. "The Social Anthropology Of Britain, And The Question Of 'Otherness'". Anthropology Today 2.6 (1986): 3. Web.

Marcus, G. (1980). Law in the Development of Dynastic Families among American Business Elites: The Domestication of Capital and the Capitalization of Family. Law and Society Review, 14, 859-903.

Low, S.M. (ed.) (1999). Theorizing the City: The New Urban Anthropology Reader. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press.

Prato, G. & Pardo, I. (2003). Urban Anthropology. Anthropology Today, 1(3), 3, 5, 7, 10, 13.