Agencies, Worlds and Ontologies as Problematic Scenarios for Contemporary Anthropology

A key debate in contemporary anthropology seeks to subvert the nature/culture division and redefine the research context to consider non-human entities as immanent agents of meaning. This article exposes several approaches to this topic. It focuses on their disagreements, shared points and productiv...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Chemical Series
Main Author: Perdomo, Juan Camilo
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:Spanish
Published: Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Bogotá - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas - Departamento de Antropología 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/maguare/article/view/86196
Description
Summary:A key debate in contemporary anthropology seeks to subvert the nature/culture division and redefine the research context to consider non-human entities as immanent agents of meaning. This article exposes several approaches to this topic. It focuses on their disagreements, shared points and productive frictions. It points out that these theorizations involve three interwoven questions: what is agency, who and what has the capacity for agency? Do we inhabit one or several worlds? And, should we abandon the opposition nature/culture and replace it with the concept of ontology? This comparative exercise allows us to map the specificities of the new disciplinary stakes and is useful to assess their shortcomings and potentialities. Una parte importante de los debates antropológicos contemporáneos busca subvertir la división naturaleza/cultura y redefinir el contexto de investigación para tomar en cuenta a las entidades no-humanas como agentes inmanentes de significación. Este artículo tiene como propósito dar cuenta de la multiplicidad de abordajes propuestos. Se enfoca en sus desencuentros, puntos compartidos y fricciones productivas. Para ello señala que dichas teorizaciones se concentran en torno a tres interrogantes entrelazados: ¿qué es y qué posee capacidad de agencia?, ¿habitamos uno o varios mundos?, ¿debemos abandonar la oposición naturaleza/cultura por el concepto de ontología? Este ejercicio comparativo permite mapear las especificidades de las nuevas apuestas disciplinares y dimensionar sus falencias y potencialidades. Uma parte importante dos debates antropológicos contemporâneos pretende subverter a divisão natureza-cultura e redefinir o contexto de pesquisa para considerar as entidades não humanas como agentes imanentes de significação. Este artigo tem como objetivo evidenciar a multiplicidade de abordagens propostas. Enfoca-se em seus desencontros, pontos compartilhados e fricções produtivas. Para isso, indica que essas teorizações estão concentradas em três interrogantes entrelaçadas: o que é a ...