Exploring new avenues : anthropological history, political economy and peasantries

Abstract

In the past fifty or sixty years the field of anthropology has gone through many shifts concerning the nature of its endeavor. Shifts within general theoretical orientations reflects shifts of topic specific agendas. Moreover, a recent awareness of the role that history can play in a more vibrant and eclectic anthropology has been advocated. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the history of anthropological theory as it pertains to the discipline's orientation concerning a specific topic, namely the concept of the peasant. Anthropology is enjoined to reevaluate its orientation and accept the challenge of delineating new avenues of inquiry.