Wisdom from the Edge: Writing Ethnography in Turbulent Times

by Paul Stoller

Wisdom From the Edge describes what anthropologists can do to contribute to the social and cultural changes that shape a social future of wellbeing and viability. Paul Stoller shows how anthropologists can develop sensuously described ethnographic narratives to communicate powerfully their insights to a wide range of audiences. These insights are filled with wisdom about how respect for nature is central to the future of humankind. Stoller demonstrates how the ethnographic evocation of space and place, the honing of dialogue, and the crafting of character depict the drama of social life, and borrows techniques from film, poetry, and fiction to expand the appeal of anthropological knowledge and heighten its ability to connect the public to the idiosyncrasies of people and locale. Ultimately, Wisdom from the Edge underscores the importance of recognizing and applying indigenous wisdom to the social problems that threaten the future.

Genres: Anthropology

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2023

About the author

Paul Stoller is an anthropologist and novelist who teaches anthropology at West Chester University. He has conducted ethnographic research in the Republic of Niger in West Africa and among West African immigrants in New York City. His books, novels and memoirs are attempts to convey the wisdom of African systems of thought. He is currently doing research on family life among West African immigrants in New York City and is at work on a new novel, The Sorcerer's Burden and a new work of non-fiction, The Business of Social Relations: Global Resilience Among West Africans in the World. His most recent book, The Power of the Bertween: An Anthropological Odyssey was published in December 2008 by The University of Chicago Press. Paul has a new website, paulstoller.com which up and running.

Reviews

[Tarjei Skille · Rating 4 out of 5]

omsider fant jeg tid (og boka igjen) til å fullføre denne. Paul skriver godt som alltid, og har realitetsbriller på. jeg gripes av dette, men har alltid vært (faglig) fan. det er kraft og makt i narrative, historie(fortelling) og lokal, tradisjonell kunnskap. i en verden som er mer akterutkjørt enn noen gang, setter jeg pris på folk -og fagfolk- som understreker dette.

[Louis · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Most of the guerrilla anthropologists understand that the old colonialist ways of solving social problems or understanding the world don't work. Our systems of politics, economics, and scholarship are ineffectual and counterproductive. In this context, the guerrilla approach to anthropology, which emerges from long-standing experience in the field, is perfectly suited to living in, understanding, and coping with the crises that shape contemporary social life.
Kapferer's approach, which is the orientation I embrace in this book, takes us to the periphery of things - to the edge of consciousness. It challenges us to invent new forms to consider social worlds from perspectives freed from what Clifford Geertz long ago called the "dead hand of competence."

“The sohanci is a peripheral figure par excellence. He or she lives a life filled with what John Keats long ago called “negative capability,” the capacity to live with incompleteness and contradiction."

Anthropological insights about the human condition are important elements in any future blueprint for social and cultural change. It is no exaggeration to state that the world is in trouble.