Blackwell Reference Online

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In this paper I propose to outline some of the debates and positions that have shaped anthropology in Colombia since it was established as a disciplinary and professional field in the mid-1940s. Although archaeology, linguistics or biological anthropology might also be interesting perspectives from which to approach this subject, my intention here is to focus on sociocultural anthropology. I will argue that the evolution of anthropology can be understood in terms of the tension between the global orientations of the discipline (concerning dominant narratives and practices, theories, field-work, relations between subjects of study) and the way they are put into practice within the Colombian context. In the anthropological practice of countries like Colombia there is a constant uneasiness about either adopting the dominant anthropological concepts and orientations, or else modifying, adjusting or rejecting them and proposing alternatives. This need to adapt the practice stems from the specific social condition of anthropologists in these countries, that is, our dual position as both researchers and fellow citizens of our subjects of study, as a result of which we are continually torn between our duty as scientists and our role as citizens. From this perspective, there is a danger of falling into a nationalistic interpretation of the history of anthropology in Colombia. As Claudio ... log in or subscribe to read full text