Colonial contradictions: ethnographic understanding and political needs in the writings of Alberto Pollera

Abstract

Starting with a series of suggestions from the international literature, the essay discusses the specific case of Alberto Pollera, an Italian officer who went to Eritrea in 1894 and remained there until his death in 1939. The case allows us to discuss the figure of the administrator/ethnographer, the ethnographic representations and the practical effects of these on the reality of colonial administration, the construction of ethnic groups and the concrete life of the subject populations, and finally the relationship between writing, political practice and private conduct.