Routledge The Life of the Senses: Introduction to a Modal Anthropology (Sensory Studies)

Both a vital theoretical work and a fine illustration of the principles and practice of sensory ethnography, this much anticipated translation is destined to figure as a major catalyst in the expanding field of sensory studies. Drawing on his own fieldwork in Brazil and Japan and a wide range of philosophical, literary and cinematic sources, the author outlines his vision for a 'modal anthropology'. François Laplantine challenges the primacy accorded to 'sign' and 'structure' in conventional social science research, and redirects attention to the tonalities and rhythmic intensities of different ways of living. Arguing that meaning, sensation and sociality cannot be considered separately, he calls for a 'politics of the sensible' and a complete reorientation of our habitual ways of understanding reality. The book also features an introduction to the sensory and social thought of François Laplantine by the editor of the Sensory Studies series, David Howes. Review By definition, most scholarly work takes the form of 'normal science' in the Kuhnian sense, answering the questions posed by the current state of a discipline and filling in perceived gaps in its knowledge … Once in a while, though, something really revolutionary appears, something that aims to overthrow the very foundations not only of a discipline but of an entire intellectual tradition. Laplantine's modestly titled The Life of the Senses is such a manifesto. - Anthropology Review Database - David Eller About the Author François Laplantine is Professor Emeritus of the University of Lyon 2, France and has an honorary doctorate from the Federal University of Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.Jamie Furniss is Lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, UK.