C. Antweiler, IMAGES OF SELF, OTHERS AND NATURE - ANTHR OPOLOGICAL VIEW AND SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON THE COGNITIVE DIMENSION OF INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGE, Anthropos, 89(1-3), 1994, pp. 137-168
The paper addresses the general social science audience and adopts Rap
paport's (1993) framework of an ''anthropology of trouble'' engaged to
anthropologize social and political discourse and thereby going beyon
d an applied anthropology as pure problem-solving or an anthropology a
s mere cultural critique. A careful synthesis of anthropological knowl
edge of die cognitive dimensions of intercultural exchange is attempte
d. It is tried to draw together the as yet dinstinct discussions of et
hnicity and ethnocentrism. Firstly, ethnicity is discussed as a simple
phenomenon with very complicated manifestations. Secondly, using case
s and comparative ethnographic data, ethnocentrism is described in det
ail and understood in terms of a socially embedded cognition building
on ethnicity. Racism also can be shown as a social construction of val
ued boundaries, but includes a specific and pseudomethodic naturalizat
ion in addition, Thus a precise definition, which is empirically as we
ll as politically needed, is provided. Scientific sources of several c
ountermeasures are outlined.