Interpretive Anthropology, Metaphysics, and the Paranormal
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3014952 |
|---|---|
| Authors | James Lett, James W Lett (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1991 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 305-329 |
| Publication date | 1991-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Anthropological Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0091-7710 • E-ISSN: 2153-3806 |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1086/jar.47.3.3630616 |
| OpenAlex | W2333989728 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 13 |
| References cited | 25 |
The paradigm of interpretive anthropology is founded upon two fundamental premises: first, that evocation and interpretation, rather than description and explanation, are sufficient and appropriate goals for anthropology and, second, that objective scientific descriptions and explanations of human affairs are unattainable. Both premises are insupportable, as can be demonstrated from the absurd conclusions that inevitably result when those premises are applied to claims of paranormal phenomena. This paper identifies the logical errors of "postmodernism" and suggests a reconciliation between scientific and interpretive approaches in anthropology
Epistemology · Evocation · Interpretation (philosophy) · Linguistics · Metaphysics · Paranormal · Postmodernism · Sociology · Anthropology · Hermeneutics and Narrative Identity · Philosophy · Rhetoric and Communication Studies · Social Science and Policy Research
Witchcraft and a Life in the New South Africa
Quantitative ethnopharmacological study of the Campidano Valley and Urzulei district, Sardinia, Italy
Anthropological methods in ethnopharmacology
Anti anti‐universalism
Facets of ethnography
Objectivity and the supernormal
Writing Culture'
She appeared to be in some kind of trance
Mystical Mastery
Ethnographies as Texts/Ethnographers as Griots
Causation and the postmodern critique of objectivity
Idols of Our Tribes
Magic, miracle, and marvels in anthropology
The Predicament of Culture
Post-Modern Ethnography
Paths toward a clearing
Other tribes, other scribes
Introduction
Representations Are Social Facts
Anthropological research. The structure of inquiry
Exploring the Unknown
Cultural Materialism
The Interpretive Turn
Anthropology as Anthropology
Anthropology as Metaphysics
Anthropology as Cultural Critique
From the Native's Point of View
Ethnographies as Texts
The Predicament of Culture
The Constructive Uses of Deconstruction in the Ethnographic Study of Notable American Families
Irrationality and Popular Archaeology
A Century of Controversy
Cult Archaeology and Creationism
Anthropology As Empirical Science
Distinguished Lecture
The Poetic Turn in Postmodern Anthropology
Rhetoric and the Authority of Ethnography
| Unique citing works | 13 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,39 |
| Citation span | 1993 - 2014 (22) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 13 |