Retrospectives and bricolages for "a theoretical ethnography" Geographical, academic and intellectual nomadisms in the process of anthropological production

Abstract

Although the "reflexive turn" has permeated the practices of the social sciences since at least the 1990s, forcing the explication of the conditions of research production, the emphasis on the relationship between ethnography (field) and theory (analysis/interpretation) still remains a ritual exercise in the writings of some anthropologists. The article aims to rethink the fruitful (albeit tortuous) paths of the complex construction of this dialectic through the multiple processes of the mutual interlocking of ethnography and theory. The first part examines Ugo Fabietti's contribution with respect to the crucial role of the anthropologist's "nomadisms" and "wanderings" in the dynamic interaction between the two moments of data production. In the second part, I focus on my personal journey as an anthropologist who has transited-often accidentally -through various African camps, European academic institutions, theoretical influences, and teaching experiences.