Paper
Estatutos y características cognitivas de la antropología en Venezuela
Published Oct 2, 2005 · J. C. Briceño
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Abstract
Podriamos dividir la antropologia venezolana en dos grandes periodos: antes y despues de la decada de los cincuenta. Antes, nos encontramos con un pensamiento marcado por el positivismo, evolucionista unilineal y, en menor grado, difusionista y determinista geografico, cultivado por eruditos influenciados por Europa (sobre todo Alemania y Francia). Despues, porque se funda en Caracas, en la Universidad Central de Venezuela, el Instituto de Investigaciones Antropologicas (Facultad de Humanidades, 1952), el Departamento de Antropologia y Sociologia (1953) y luego la Escuela de Antropologia y Sociologia (Facultad de Economia, octubre de 1954), las tres durante la dictadura de Perez Jimenez. Esta segunda etapa, en ruptura total con la primera (como si esta primera no hubiera existido), se podria subdividir a su vez en tres momentos: a) de la fundacion a 1968, b) de 1968 a 1986, c) de 1986 en adelante. The author presents a detailed analysis of the evolution of anthropology in Venezuela during this century. She identifies two great stages: one before the decade of the fifties characterized by the positivism cultivated by some scholars influences by European thought, particularly form Germany and France; and the second one, as of the foundation of the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research (1952) and other anthropology and sociology schools, marked by a boasian and functionalist influence. Clarac makes a critical revision of current anthropological work in Venezuela and suggest the need to return to field work and to “make” anthropology from the South. That is, from this region’s current and historical reality.
Venezuelan anthropology has evolved through two stages: before the fifties, influenced by positivism and boas, and after 1952, influenced by boas and functionalist thought.
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