Open AccessAnthropologist Turned Politician
Author(s) -
Dijana Šabić
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
etnološka istraživanja
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1847-6198
pISSN - 0351-4323
DOI - 10.32458/ei.25.7
Subject(s) - ethnography , politics , state (computer science) , sociology , epistemology , work (physics) , anthropology , political science , law , philosophy , mechanical engineering , algorithm , computer science , engineering
Exploring the concept of ethnographic vacillation which Hage identifies as a “state of constant movement between political participation and analytical observation” (Hage 2009), this paper aims at tackling the following questions: how does one write the (political) emotions into one’s ethnographic work? Should one do that at all? When does one stop being an engaged anthropologist and become a political activist with some knowledge of anthropology? And furthermore, to what extent should anthropologists even get engaged with the politics? In an attempt to answer these questions, I will critically examine my own position as an engaged anthropologist turned politician, following the notion that when one’s solely observant participation reaches a point at which the anthropologist deems it as - not enough, (s)he is welcome and often obliged to engage.