Entangled Objects: Exchange, Material Culture, and Colonialism in the Pacific

by Nicholas Thomas

Entangled Objects threatens to dislodge the cornerstone of Western anthropology by rendering permanently problematic the idea of reciprocity. All traffic, and commerce, whether economic or intellectual, between Western anthropologists and the rest of the world, is predicated upon the possibility of establishing reciprocal relations between the West and the indigenous peoples it has colonized for centuries.

Drawing on his work on contemporary postcolonial Pacific societies, Nicholas Thomas takes up three issues central to modern the cultural and political dynamics of colonial encounters, the nature of Western and non-Western transactions (such as the gift and the commodity), and the significance of material objects in social life. Along the way, he raises doubts about any simple “us/them” dichotomy between Westerners and Pacific Islanders, challenging the preoccupation of anthropology with cultural difference by stressing the shared history of colonial entanglement.

Thomas integrates general issues into a historical discussion of the uses Pacific Islanders and Europeans have made of each other’s material artifacts. He explores how nineteenth- and twentieth-century islanders, and visitors from the time of the Cook voyages up to the present day, have fashioned identities for themselves and each other by appropriating and exchanging goods. Previous writers have explored museums and the tribal art market, but this is the first book to concentrate on the distinct interests of European collectors and the islanders. In its comparative scope, its combination of historical and ethnographic scholarship, and its subversive approach to anthropological theory and traditional understandings of colonial relationships, Entangled Objects is a unique and challenging book. It will be tremendously interesting to all those working in the fields of cultural studies, from history to literature.

Genres: Anthropology, History, Material Culture, Economics

276 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1991

Reviews

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

My boss lent me this book when I told him that I was interested in material culture and colonial anthropology. It's one of his tomes from college. Eventually I have to give it back to him.

[Ash · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was assigned for a class in economic anthropology, but the majority of the class found it unnecessarily pretentious and for the most part, dry as hell.

[Herrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Beats around the bush and after 20 pages and hours spent deciphering the academic diarrhea, you're not much likely to get any smarter than when you first started out.

[Shuhui Shen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is worthy of more attention from someone who is interested in anthropology, history and even natural sciences. Thomas clearly exemplifies how western perspectives and indigenous culture "entangled" in a non-essentialist way. Many details are clear (too much to write). Impressively, Thomas argues that critical theories risk creating more oppositions in the landscape of anthropology. Obsession with local contexts is likely to lead to the ignorance of global exchanges. This book seems to be more convincing than groundbreaking.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first and second chapter are somewhat borish to get through, however once you get to the third and the fourth chapter they are incredibly awesome, I enjoyed them thoroughly. Although Thomas could certainly use a bit of editing to order his thoughts better, they are good thoughts and I enjoyed reading them.

[firstmanleaving · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very dense read, the takeaways are interesting but incredible heady

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this one for a class, and it’s DENSE. Thankfully the professor is going through it because I understood nothing from reading the book.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sure that there are a multitude of intriguing nuggets to be gleaned from this text, but Good God, it can't be worth the trouble! I dutifully waded through the first 34 pages of anthropological jargon-laden psyco-babble and promptly threw in the towel...If I'm feeling more charitably inclined (or guilty) at a later date I may revisit it, or at least the stunning(?) conclusion.