Why Anthropology Needs the Global South

"The history of hegemonic global knowledge production and circulation is plagued by the selective appropriation and suppression or distortion of other people’s knowledge. These imperialist and colonialist processes resulted in the loss of an unimaginable amount of heuristic power. This book is a most stimulating addition to the longstanding cognitive struggle against the arrogance of metropolitan provincialism and the ignorance that sustains it. Exploring these issues is especially important in anthropology, a discipline that celebrates diversity but still has a long way to go to benefit from its global heterogeneity and move beyond North Atlanticentrism."

- Gustavo Lins Ribeiro, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Lerma (México)

"This book proposes a decisive shift in the anthropological perspective: moving beyond the conception of the Global South as a mere space for data production and recognizing it as a central site for theoretical, methodological, and ethical development. Through situated ethnographies, critical reflections, and collaborative research experiences addressing themes such as global health, as well as collective care, conservation, and reparation practices, the work demonstrates how anthropologies of the Global South challenge the epistemic hierarchies inherited from colonialism and enrich contemporary debates within the discipline. Thus, by emphasizing that the future of anthropology depends on embracing its pluralistic and polycentric nature, the book offers a key contribution to discussions on the decolonization of knowledge."

- Claudia Salomón Tarquini, State Director of Cultural Heritage of La Pampa; Professor at the National University of La Pampa (Argentina)