Axel Sommerfelt has been an important influence on Norwegian and Scandinavian anthropology, but his contributions are almost unknown. This book brings together some of his critical writings, newly written articles and an interview which positions him in the history of ‘North Sea’ social anthropology and shows his continued relevance. An Africanist, Sommerfelt did research in Ruwenzori (Uganda and Belgian Congo), but also wrote about the Tallensi (Ghana) and worked for years in Salisbury (Harare) before being evicted by Ian Smith's racist regime in 1966. His contributions to political anthropology, methodology and legal anthropology have a lasting value.
List of Illustrations
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1. Political Cohesion in a Stateless Society: The Tallensi of the Northern Territory of the Gold Coast (Ghana)
Chapter 2. First Impressions from Bukonjo
Chapter 3. Village Politics and the Administration of Justice among the Konjo of Bwamba
Chapter 4. The Bakonjo on Both Sides of the Congo-Uganda Border
Chapter 5. Intertribal Relations in Bwamba, Western Uganda
Chapter 6. Justice, Morality and Belief in Conflict Resolution Processes
Chapter 7. Ethnopolitics and the Uses of History among the Konzo of Uganda at the End of the Colonial Period
Chapter 8. Resistance and Profession: An Interview with Axel Sommerfelt
Afterword: The African Connection
Adam Kuper
Index
Produktdetaljer
Biographical note
Thomas Hylland Eriksen (1962-2024) was Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Oslo. He was an honorary member of the Royal Anthropological Institute and external scientific member of the Max Planck Society. His recent books include Boomtown (2018) Acceleration and Cultural Change (2023) and the co-edited Responding to the Anthropocene (2023).