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The Endless Apogee of Interculturality: Critical Anthropological and Philosophical Reflections

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Intercultural Studies from Southern Chile

Abstract

The chapter discusses the prolific and indiscriminate use of the concept of interculturality by examining statements, problems and reflections from the disciplines of anthropology and philosophy. We seek to identify and question the conceptual and practical implications of the rise of interculturality for ideas and models that seek to manage social and cultural diversity. In doing so, we believe it is important both to identify certain aspects arising from the anthropological experience of the study and configuration of othernesses and to provide a philosophical treatment of the requirement to dynamise interculturality as a contextual and critical process through its experiential dimension. Our analysis seeks to highlight the risks essentialisation and standardisation pose for interculturality as both a critical and transformative practice.

Translated by James Kelly. This chapter is a revised version of Díaz and Samaniego (2015).

The contribution of Mario Samaniego to this article is part of FONDECYT No. 1120995 “Translation and interpretation during the period 1814–1930 as evidence of dynamics of recognition in the border context”.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Among others, see Díaz Crovetto (2008, 2011), Escobar and Lins Ribeiro (2005), Escobar and Restrepo (2004), and Restrepo (2012).

  2. 2.

    Examples of interesting reviews, debates and perspectives can be found in Briones (2007), García Canclini (2004, 2007, 2011), Grimson (2011), Restrepo (2012), and Samaniego and Garbarini (2004).

  3. 3.

    Discourses that, in a certain sense, lead to an intellectual property of knowledges and forms of knowledge.

  4. 4.

    Examples of reflections can be found in Asad (1995), Boskovic (2007), and Lins Ribeiro and Escobar (2009).

  5. 5.

    Naturally, we believe that anthropology and its cases must also be interrogated and questioned, since it is always experienced and constructed in specific places and times.

  6. 6.

    In this respect, see, among other sources, the work of Scott (1987, 1992) and of Wolf (1973, 1994).

  7. 7.

    Where, in some cases, the specific aspect of a culture yields new dimensions of the specific aspect of culture itself, with natural models and forms of order and practices revealed and studied. See, among other possibilities, Dumont (1970, 1987), Leirner (2003), and Peirano (1991a, 1991b, 2006).

  8. 8.

    And in some cases to establish possible dialogues.

  9. 9.

    Briones (2007, p. 49) proposes thinking of discrepancies instead of cultural differences, since discrepancies open up a space that allows the transformation of thought.

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Correspondence to Gonzalo Díaz Crovetto .

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Díaz Crovetto, G., Samaniego, M. (2020). The Endless Apogee of Interculturality: Critical Anthropological and Philosophical Reflections. In: Payàs, G., Le Bonniec, F. (eds) Intercultural Studies from Southern Chile. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52363-3_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52363-3_10

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