SOCIĀLANTROPOLOĢISKA PĒTĪJUMA DISKURSĪVĀ REALITĀTE
Research as a discursive practice in social anthropology

Summary/Abstract: The article examines a recent trend in social anthropology in particular and social research in general, namely, the growing reflectivity, or attention to the impact that the researcher's personality and position leaves on the social reality investigated.Some propositions of discourse theory, in particular those advanced by Davis and Harrē (1990) and Shotter (1993) are discussed. In accordance with the dialogical research paradigm, outlined by Shotter, knowledge, Summary 393 being embodied in practices and relationships, exists among individuals rather than in their "heads". The function of language in this paradigm is to ensure communication rather than to represent the world. The author's intention in this paper is to demonstrate in what ways attention to speech acts (as discussed by Austin 1962), that are embodied in social contexts, can deepen our understanding of power relations in three areas - magic, medicine and religion. Examples are given from anthropological research in the respective areas.

• Details
• Contents