description George Marcus Overview
George E. Marcus is an American cultural anthropologist and a foundational figure in the postmodern critique of anthropology during the late 20th century. He is best known for co-editing the highly influential 1986 volume "Writing Culture" with James Clifford, which challenged traditional claims to ethnographic objectivity. Marcus further advanced the discipline by advocating for "multi-sited ethnography," a methodology designed to track cultural processes across various interconnected geographic and social locations rather than within a single, isolated community.
His research has largely focused on elites, globalization, and the changing nature of fieldwork.
insights Ranking position
George Marcus ranks #58 of 191 in the Anthropologist ranking, behind David Schneider, ahead of Robert Lowie.
help George Marcus FAQ
What text did George Marcus co-edit that revolutionized anthropology?
George E. Marcus is best known for co-editing the highly influential 1986 volume "Writing Culture" with James Clifford. The book sparked the postmodern critique of anthropology by challenging the objectivity of traditional ethnographic writing.
What is the multi-sited ethnography approach developed by George Marcus?
In a 1995 paper, Marcus introduced the concept of "multi-sited ethnography," arguing that anthropologists must follow people, objects, and ideas across multiple global locations. This was a shift away from studying isolated, single communities.
Where was George Marcus a professor?
He served as a prominent professor at Rice University, where he also chaired the anthropology department for many years. He helped make Rice a leading center for cultural theory and innovative anthropological methods.
How did George Marcus contribute to postmodernism in anthropology?
Marcus criticized traditional anthropology for hiding the researcher's influence, arguing that ethnographies are constructed narratives. He pushed the field to be more self-reflexive about power dynamics, politics, and the literary nature of scientific writing.
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