RAI RESEARCH SEMINAR

SEMINAR SERIES AT THE ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE

Seen from the Atlas: Ernest Gellner and Moroccan tribes

Dr Wolfgang Kraus, Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Vienna

Wednesday 13 February at 5.30 pm

In my ethnographic research in the Moroccan Atlas (between 1983 and 2005), Ernest Gellner’s work has been an obvious reference. As his main field site was geographically and culturally close to mine, he provided me with theoretical guidance as well as empirical data. Although I have come to take a mildly critical position on his version of segmentary theory, I am much indebted to him intellectually and continue to consider segmentation an important notion for understanding the Berbers of the Atlas and other similar groups in the Middle East. I argue that the contribution he made on the basis of his Moroccan research has been misunderstood or misrepresented by many of his commentators, something which is easy to understand in the context of the time when he published it but is nevertheless mistaken.

This event is free, but tickets must be booked. To book tickets please go to https://wolfgangkraus.eventbrite.co.uk

Location : Royal Anthropological Institute
50 Fitzroy Street
London
W1T 5BT
United Kingdom
http://www.therai.org.uk