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ANTHROPOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION  

Review by Daniel Cidrelius 

 

What is Anthropology? 

By  Hylland Eriksen, Thomas. 2017. London: Pluto Press  

 

Keywords: knowledge production, historical anthropological theory, anthropological 
concepts, anthropological fields, reconciliation of the natural and social sciences 

 

In his book What is Anthropology? Thomas Hylland Eriksen, the globally recognized 
educational father of anthropology, gives his perspective on the constitution of anthropology 
and the way in which anthropologists have explored how individuals make sense of the world. 
The reader could see this book as a vividly visualized introduction to the power of the 
anthropological craft. It expands perspectives on social lives and cultural phenomena. In its 
entirety, the book contains the keys to an anthropological world with potential to change the 
lives of the readers setting out to explore it. I will argue that Eriksen’s book could be read as 
an introduction to anthropology with an intended readership: natural scientists and 
anthropologists interested in a reconciliation between the natural and social sciences. The 
current title can be seen as a positivistically put question indicating the possibility of giving 
an unequivocal answer. If, primarily, the intended readership of the book had been emerging 
anthropologists the title may have been put differently i.e., ‘The Craft of Anthropology – 
Exploring the lives we could have led’ accentuating a contextualized perspective on 
anthropological knowledge production. 

The book consists of two parts. The first part, ‘Entrances,’ consists of four chapters where the 
reader approaches anthropology as a subject and finds out how anthropology has turned the 
exotic into the familiar and the familiar into the exotic historically. After each chapter a 
couple of books are presented for further reading and the reader interested in the full table of 
references can see that most of the cited works were published several decades earlier. At first 
sight it appears that the table of references provides an answer to the question ‘What was 
anthropology?’. Though, on the basis of the table of references Eriksen shows that 
anthropology has experienced continuous change and development of theories and methods 
and that the older, often groundbreaking, studies can be seen as relevant even today in current 
debates.  

In the second chapter the reader is introduced to some of the key concepts of anthropology 
opening up for an understanding of social life in terms of personhood, society, culture, 



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translations of phenomena, comparisons and the importance of contextualization. Eriksen 
states that anthropologists are aware that there are multiple ways of seeing and that 
perceptions are shaped by the individual’s background, tacit knowledge and interests (31). 
The anthropological text can be seen as a dialogue between the author and the intended 
readership (32). The third chapter maps the terrain of the anthropological production of 
knowledge, i.e., based on fieldwork and analysis. As Eriksen points out (43), research is about 
exploring the unknown, not about confirming your own ideas. That point has come to the fore 
since the 1970s when the formerly colonized subjects started writing back and questioning 
cultural representations (Ashcroft et al 2002). In the fourth chapter, closing the first part of the 
book, Eriksen sheds light on the treasure chest of historical anthropological theories. The 
reader receives a guided tour through the rich theoretical development from structural-
functionalism to postmodernism. Summing up, as a result of the twists and turns of theoretical 
perspectives over the years, current anthropological research recognizes that the world, 
cultures and societies can be seen as complex. 

The second part of the book consists of five chapters exploring a variation of topics such as 
reciprocity, kinship, the relation between the natural and social sciences, systems of thoughts 
and social identity. The fifth chapter starts with a discussion about gift exchange which has 
had a central place in anthropological research at least since the publication of Mauss’ The 
Gift (1925). According to Eriksen (86), Mauss shows that reciprocity can be considered far 
more important in modern complex societies than many seem to be aware of. An objection 
can be raised in relation to this formulation which maintains the distinction between 
traditional and modern societies. That distinction can be considered problematic as it creates 
asymmetric relations between so called traditional/underdeveloped/primitive societies and 
modern/advanced/complex societies. It raises the question whether ‘we’ have ever been 
modern (Latour 1993). Rounding off the chapter with a reflection Eriksen strives to reconcile 
natural scientists and social scientists, who despite the fact that we approach phenomena from 
different perspectives, both have reached the conclusion that reciprocity constitutes a 
fundamental aspect of human life.  

In the sixth chapter Eriksen shows that kinship studies have been a core focus within 
anthropology, how the field was weakened and that kinship studies could rise to prominence 
again. This chapter also includes a discussion on adoption practices in relation to kinship 
systems that emphasize a few complicated aspects of transnational adoption. As Eriksen notes 
(111), ‘kinning’ or creating kinship, does not come without effort. The seventh chapter 
discusses the strained relation between the natural and social sciences which could be found 
in the view on the constitution of Knowledge. While biologists look for unequivocal and 
universal laws in the context of knowledge most anthropologists accept the fact that the world 
contains contradiction and complexity (117). In sum, Eriksen finds reconciliation of 
differences in the acceptance of the value of both approaches (135).  

The eighth chapter gives an account of how human thoughts can be explored with the 
available anthropological field methods such as participant observation, interviews and a 
basic curiosity for other individual’s way of life (136). Eriksen sheds light on Lévi-Strauss’ 
book The Savage Mind (1966) in which Lévi-Strauss develops a theory of totemism. This 
enigmatic phenomenon has been the subject of much anthropological theory and speculation 
over the years. Totems can be seen as a system of thoughts. As Eriksen notes (145), this mode 
of thought contributes to making sense of the world through its power to classify and connect 
discrete phenomena. In other words, explorations of how individuals make sense of the world 



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can show how particular ways of life differing from others may be equally meaningful and 
valuable, that everything could have been different and that another world is possible. The 
ninth chapter, concluding the book, gives an account of the field concerning social identity 
which has been at the forefront of much anthropological research for decades. 
Anthropological perspectives have exerted considerable influence on other disciplines and 
many anthropologists have taken on the task of exploring the emergence of new identities 
resulting from globalization (152). In conclusion, I have argued that Eriksen’s book may be 
read as an introduction to anthropology with an intended readership composed of natural 
scientists and anthropologists who would like to see a reconciliation between the natural and 
social sciences. It remains to be seen if such a reconciliation can be realized. Alternatively, 
readers may find an interest in transcending the boundary between identifications like natural 
scientist and social scientist, positioning themselves, in a nutshell, as knowledge producers. 

 

Cited Works: 

Ashcroft, Bill, Garreth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin. 2002 [1989]. The Empire Writes Back. 
London: Routledge 

Latour, Bruno. 1993. We Have Never Been Modern. USA: Harvard University Press 

Lévi-Strauss, Claude. 1966. The Savage Mind. USA: The University of Chicago Press 

Mauss, Marcel. 1997 [1925]. Gåvan. Lund: Argos Förlag 

 

Daniel Cidrelius holds a master’s degree in Social Anthropology from Stockholm University. 
He has explored tourism’s role in the transnational adoptions of Sri Lankan children and 
marginalized voices in the adoption discourse. His research interests include Sri Lanka, 
transnational adoption practices and travel writing. Currently he is working on an article 
exploring representations of the Veddas. 

 

          © 2020 Daniel Cidrelius 

 


