Paper
The future of anthropology in Africa: challenge, perspective and development
presenters
TAKU KAMMOU Ghislain Fabrice
Nationality: Cameroonian
Residence: Cameroon
Perform'Action Lab.
Presence:Face to Face/ On Site
WOGAING Jeannette
Nationality: Cameroonian
Residence: Cameroon
University of Douala, Department of Anthropology
Presence:Online
KAMDJO Marinette
Nationality: Cameroonian
Residence: Cameroon
University of Douala
Presence:Face to Face/ On Site
Keywords:
Future, anthropology, challenge, perspective, development, Africa
Abstract:
Anthropological studies brought a significant support in the increasing of knowledge on many populations. Indeed, anthropology was used to describe cultural behaviors of Africans. However, many research programs were oriented from international organizations purposes with the aim to impose western ideas of development to local communities. Unfortunately, majority of those projects did not impacted significantly African populations. In the middle of 1960, international organizations like UN decided to integrate endogenous knowledge from each people in their propositions as Ki-Zerbo claimed for long. In fact, this paper is a contribution to build [an] anthropology more independent and also equipped for African context in three (03) dimensions such as challenge, perspective and development. Firstly, the study of endogenous technics needs to have a strong methodological background which is not clearly exist up till now. Metinhoue presented in an article, the necessity to respect the specificity for each traditional knowledge for further usage. Secondly, the study of material culture by anthropology will help to solve different problems which are currently asked: who is the target of the African research results? So, Hountondji have replied in a book that, the study of endogenous knowledge will contribute to reduce the logic from extraversion to [intra]version of findings by fixing them locally. Thirdly, the dimension of development is more about derived products from [those] knowledge. In fact, Adande thought that many industries provided by local knowledge, will progressively design different products carrying local identities. Furthermore, the conceptual schemes highlighted in anthropological studies are the basic materials used by other sciences to develop technical processes. For instance, in our Department of Anthropology, a recent study in agriculture permit to proposed a concept of 'Applied Agro-anthropology' for theorizing local knowledge in crops production. This paper invites to think and structure anthropology for African perspectives.