This is the second special edition on World Anthropologies. The first was
based on the annual meeting of the Kansai Branch of the Japanese Society
of Cultural Anthropology held on October 15th 2005, and appeared in volume
31(1) of the same bulletin. This second special edition is also based on the
annual meeting of the Kansai Branch, held on July 7th 2007.
Thus, the form of the two editions is the same, but their content is quite
different. Following the development of anthropological thought in the four
leading countries in Anthropology (the United States, France, Britain, and
China), the first edition tried to make clear the characteristics of each Anthropology.
Emphasis was put upon their educational systems, considering these
to be a key to predicting the future of each Anthropology.
The second edition, in contrast, changes the target countries and the
object of discussion. Taking up four countries, the United States, Germany,
India and Australia, this edition focuses on the relationship between Anthropology
and its related disciplines: Cultural Studies in the US, Ethnology in
Germany, Subaltern Studies in India, and Multiculturalism in Australia. Why
do we choose this topic? There are two reasons. Firstly, although they are
branches of cultural studies like Anthropology, these other disciplines generally
aim at culture on the national scale, while anthropological investigations
are often carried out on minority or ethnic group cultures. Secondly, they
show a strong tendency to focus on the political aspects of cultural practices,
while anthropological studies often neglect these. If there is a methodological
difference between Anthropology and these other disciplines, it will be fruitful
to examine them closely to rethink Anthropology, which has been said to be
in difficulties.