Taking Sides

Heidi Armbruster holds a Ph.D. in social anthropology from SOAS in London. She is a lecturer in German and Transnational Studies at the University of Southampton.

“I enjoyed reading this collection…[because] there is a sense of purpose to the work contained in Taking Sides, and that purpose gives the analysis and discussion provided by the various essays a distinctive clarity and personal character.”  ·  International Socialism"A grippingly honest account of the dilemmas of being an engages anthropologist in a world where taking sides has become increasingly complex. These courageous authors strip back the mask of objectivity in fieldwork and confront head-on the limits of empathy and the sometimes disturbing ethical conditions under which they obtained their knowledge. An original and powerful call for partiality despite the pitfalls. A must-read for all aspiring anthropologists."  ·  Jenny B. White, Boston University"An ambitious and satisfying collection that conjoins anthropologists' political and ethical commitments to the worlds they study, inhabit and engage. Taking Sides shows the limits of some strands of postmodern reflexivity, moves political contexts to the fore, and illustrates how anthropology can move beyond critical analysis to praxis."  ·  David Price, Associate Professor of anthropology and sociology at St. Martin's University, in Lacey, Washington“An outstanding collection of essays that both instruct and provoke. They exemplify the virtues of politically engaged anthropology and invite the reader to reflect critically on what it means to be a scholar in today's conflict-torn world. Illuminating for the specialist and the non-specialist alike.”  ·  Alex Callinicos, Professor of European Studies French Department King's College London Strand

• Introduction: The Ethics of Taking SidesHeidi ArmbrusterChapter 1. Starting from Below: Fieldwork, Gender and Imperialism NowNancy LindisfarneChapter 2. Arriving in Nowhere Land. Studying an Islamic Sufi Order in LondonTayfun AtayChapter 3. Friendships and Encounters within Left-Liberal Politics in BangladeshNayanika MookherjeeChapter 4. Doing Fieldwork within Fear and SilencesPanagiotis GerosChapter 5. Memory, Ethics, Politics. Researching a Beleaguered CommunityHeidi ArmbrusterChapter 6. Confessions of a Downbeat AnthropologistAnna LærkeChapter 7. We Will not Integrate! Multiple Belongings, Political Activism and Anthropology in AustriaSabine StrasserChapter 8. Taking Sides in the Oilfields. For a Politically Engaged AnthropologyHeike SchaumbergChapter 9. Ranting and Silence. The Contradictions of Writing for Activists and AcademicsJonathan NealeBibliographyIndex