First published 2007
Gray traces how Australian social anthropology emerged as an academic field in the twentieth century. The book examines the institutional battles anthropologists fought to establish their discipline at universities across Australia. Gray shows how these scholars positioned themselves as the primary authorities on Indigenous cultures and societies. He documents the ways anthropologists worked alongside government agencies to create policies affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The study reveals how academic research became intertwined with state efforts to manage Indigenous populations. Gray analyzes the complex relationship between scholarly inquiry and political power. The book demonstrates how anthropologists both studied and influenced the communities they claimed to understand. This examination offers readers insight into the formation of Australian academia and its relationship with Indigenous peoples.
Genres: history, 20th-century, politics, anthropology, non-fiction, academia, academic
Vibes: academic, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic-politics, institutional-history
Setting: Australia
Period: 20th-Century
304 pages · Paperback · Aboriginal Studies Press