IMAGES OF SELF, OTHERS AND NATURE - ANTHR OPOLOGICAL VIEW AND SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON THE COGNITIVE DIMENSION OF INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGE

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.