Reflections on East and West: anthropology, decolonization, and teaching

Abstract

I examine here the role of anthropology in decolonizing narratives of personal identity, taking my own story as an example. I reflect on different aspects of decolonization between east and west: that of racialized identities in different national contexts; of disciplinary contrasts between European and American anthropology; and between that of eastern and western Europe. Drawing on Ingold’s notion of commoning, I discuss decolonizing practices through teaching anthropologically, using narrative as a method.