ANTHROPOLOGY IN BRAZIL: IS INTERDISCIPLINARITY POSSIBLE?

Abstract

The history of Anthropology in Brazil was divided in three phases: 1) The pioneers, 2) Formative period, and 3) Contemporaneous phase. The main events and examples of paradigmatic persons were presented for the two first periods, while for the third a list of all the presidents of the Brazilian Association of Anthropology was provided. A similar approach was followed in relation to the subareas in which Anthropology is traditionally subdivided: Social/Cultural Anthropology, Archaeology, Linguistics, and Physical/Biological Anthropology. The question asked at the end was whether the interaction among these subareas is possible. The answer is that a really interdisciplinary approach is difficult, but seems to be the best way for frontier research. Therefore, a suggestion is made that Brazilian Postgraduate Programs in Anthropology should seek specialists in the four subareas, through the establishment of clearly interdisciplinary projects. Keywords: History of Anthropology, Anthropology in Brazil , Interdisciplinarity.