Towards an Anthropology with Flow: Steps To Go Beyond the ‘Ontological Turn’ | Rojas-Bahamonde | Visual Ethnography
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Towards an Anthropology with Flow: Steps To Go Beyond the ‘Ontological Turn’

Pablo Rojas-Bahamonde, Gustavo Blanco-Wells, María Amalia Mellado

Abstract


The work explores and discusses a key argument of the ‘ontological turn’ in anthropology: the call to go beyond cultural relativism, ‘taking seriously’ the ontological assumptions of the collectives under study. While this idea
has been fruitful in problematizing modern dualisms that are one of the foundations of contemporary social theory, it has derived -in many of its developments- into an intellectualism of philosophical imprint and certain
conservatism centered (still) on the written monograph. This inhibits, or at least reduces the radicalization of the apertures proposed by the ‘ontological turn’. Through the lessons arising in a research experience with
young rappers in a Mapuche community in the coastal area of Valdivia (Región de los Ríos, Chile) between 2017 and 2019, we see the relevance of literally becoming engaged in the practices of the inhabitants of the
territories where the ethnography takes place. The focus is centered on following the course of actions involved in the construction of a rap video clip dealing with environmental and territorial issues, highlighting the yield
achieved methodologically -and not strictly conceptual- entailed by ‘taking seriously’ the ontological assumptions of others and the creative manners in which they perform their worlds.

Keywords


Chile; Mapuche; rap music; ontological turn; music video clip

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12835/ve2019.1-0139

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ISSN Print 2499-9288
ISSN Online 2281-1605
Publisher Edizioni Museo Pasqualino
Patronage University of Basilicata, Italy
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Periodico registrato presso il Tribunale di Palermo con numero di registrazione 1/2023