The Objects of Evidence

Evidence is something that all anthropologists must possess, and the collection of evidence in the field is still one of the main ingredients of what Bronislaw Malinowski once referred to as 'the ethnographer's magic'. And yet, despite this, the concept of evidence has received little sustained attention in print - especially when compared to related concepts, such as 'fieldwork', 'truth', 'facts', and 'knowledge'. All anthropologists use evidence, but precious few reflect on what it is - or isn't. This volume goes some way to correcting this state of affairs.

The volume's contributors share the conviction that anthropology can no longer afford to ignore the importance of the concept of evidence, either for the ways in which anthropologists carry out their work (methodology) or present and justify their findings (epistemology). But the real strength of the volume comes from the ways in which the contributors argue the case from a variety of theoretical perspectives. This volume is a first when it comes to the care with which it treats such an important subject, and a rarity in its ability to orchestrate so many different paradigms and points of view.