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Diverse approaches in
economic anthropology: Some reflections
Suguna Pathy
Department of Sociology, Veer Narmad South Gujarat
University, Surat-395007, India.
E-mail:sugunapathy@gmail.com.
Accepted 4 May, 2010 |
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Anthropology in general has colonial roots and these
influences are still in existence. British colonial policy
in Africa and Asia began to change in the 1930s thus, it was
suddenly decided to “develop” the colonies. This paper is
aimed at objectively studying the process of change without
committing itself to any particular policy. The skepticism
of colonialism and its arrogant assumption of omniscience
and opposition to the existing social order were analyzed.
The colonial regime was engaged in the expansion of cash
economy and missionary approach. Accordingly anthropologists
were cast into the mould of the colonial stereotypes and
monolithic notions with functionalist overtones which were
the keynote of the colonial anthropology of that time. The
functionalist studies dealt with family life, customs,
folklore, economic activities and religion. Subsequently,
several monographs emerged on the gamut of culture and
integration emphasizing diffusionism. The studies were
largely based on relations between the individuals occupying
specific roles in social structure. By and large,
anthropological studies have completely ignored the genesis
and basis of social relations, class formation, conflict,
contradictions and the question of gender in particular.
Precisely this is the crucial point which economic
anthropology-formalism, substantivism, structuralism and
materialism approach, respectively. In the present exercise
an attempt is made to briefly appraise these schools of
thought.
Key word:
Economic anthropology. |
