Sometimes, when I look across the disciplinary halls of academia and happen to see a geographer, I wonder to myself, “How are they any different from anthropologists?” This is especially the case with human/cultural geographers, whose work seems to have considerable overlap with what I tend to think of as anthropology. I have several colleagues in geography here at my current university, and at times I am pretty hard-pressed to actually delineate the differences between what I am doing and what they are doing. So what really divides us?
The main difference, ironically, seems to be spatial—in a very basic sense: The geographers are housed in one building, the anthropologists in another. This arrangement stems from the somewhat arbitrary nature of academic departments. We cut through these "structural conditions" by taking classes across departments and meeting for fermented beverages at an academically neutral location from time to time. We do indeed have the power, and agency, to transcend the rigid barriers of disciplinary determinism.
The main difference, ironically, seems to be spatial—in a very basic sense: The geographers are housed in one building, the anthropologists in another. This arrangement stems from the somewhat arbitrary nature of academic departments. We cut through these "structural conditions" by taking classes across departments and meeting for fermented beverages at an academically neutral location from time to time. We do indeed have the power, and agency, to transcend the rigid barriers of disciplinary determinism.
This issue is all about exploring the chasms, debates, conversations, and potential meeting grounds between anthropologists and geographers. We have essays by Aaron Kappeler & Patrick Bigger, Kristin Monroe, Brian Grabbatin, Tim Brock, Scott Matter, Annemarie Galeucia, Caitlyn Yoshiko McNabb, Garrett Wolf & Caitlyn Yoshiko McNabb, and one extra essay by yours truly. Thanks everyone for taking part! I also want to thank Sarah Williams for all of her extra work arranging and helping to develop this month's contributions.
R.A.
PS: Don't be shy about posting comments!
PS: Don't be shy about posting comments!
2 comments:
I had a great time finally reading the articles in this issue this afternoon. Good job everyone on the pieces! I appreciated the historical articles; this is one of the types of research/writing on disciplinarity that I'd like to see more of.
I also found the rest of the pieces really thought-provoking. It's a simultaneously frightening and exciting time to think about how departments and institutions will be restructured in the coming years. Some questions related to that: does the prospect of a post-disciplinary future suggest more holistic social science? Does it raise the spectre of a collection of more or less isolated individual researchers housed in broad institutional units? Will (or should) post-disciplinary universities facilitate theoretical convergences or a proliferation of incommensurable approaches?
Also, I thought a bit about this while writing my piece but didn't say much about it, but I would have loved to hear more from anthropologists and geographers working primarily outside academe with respect to their training and what extent disciplinary boundaries influence their work and their careers.
Some questions related to that: does the prospect of a post-disciplinary future suggest more holistic social science? Does it raise the spectre of a collection of more or less isolated individual researchers housed in broad institutional units? Will (or should) post-disciplinary universities facilitate theoretical convergences or a proliferation of incommensurable approaches?
I wonder how things would look if there was a push for more interconnections...from classes and coursework all the way to research and publishing. It's interesting that we all have our committees, departments, and places where we publish--although some folks cross the borders fairly often. I think it would be interesting to teach anthropology, for example, while paying attention to some of the close connections with geography and sociology. It's interesting how we all tell our own little disciplinary creation stories...and I wonder how telling those stories a little differently would change things.
Maybe this kind of collaboration isn't going to happen from the top-down though. Maybe it will keep happening on a one-to-one basis, as individuals cross through programs and disciplinary boundaries. Anyway, good questions to think about Scott...
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