Social Anthropology
Study of contemporary African society
***While the museum building will close its doors mid-2013 for
renovation, scientific research will continue at Tervuren.***
Our focus is on the organised human being in society. We concentrate on the point of view of local actors setting them against the historical context of social dynamics. We work in several regions in Africa and are specialists in Rwanda and Mali.
Our method consists of approaching African populations without emphasising the exotic and studying the factors which contribute to the dynamics of changes to society.
Our research covers the following themes:
- religious and political rituals,
- artistic expression,
- problems linked to poverty and inequality,
- teaching and other forms of apprenticeship,
- local production practices and their relation to the globalised economy,
- political and administrative practices,
- the relationship between humans and the environment.
These themes are linked to current problems such as:
- urbanisation,
- access to natural resources,
- new religions,
- migrations,
- cultural heritage,
- use of mobile phones.
Our bibliography database (http://societies.africamuseum.be) includes publications in the field of human sciences covering the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. It helps students and researchers to develop various theoretical and comparative approaches.
