The talk draws on my recent biography of Alfred Radcliffe-Brown (1881-1955), a founder of modern social anthropology, and former Professor of Anthropology at Oxford University. I challenge the conventional view of Radcliffe-Brown as a misplaced positivist and political conservative. He is shown to be a thoroughly cosmopolitan scholar, a committed fieldworker, and sharp critic of colonialism. I argue that Radcliffe-Brown engaged strategically with colonial authorities to further the interests of his discipline and invoked scientific credentials to critique central aspects of colonial rule. This is apparent not only of his work in the Andaman Islands, but also in Australia, Fiji, South Africa and China. His struggle for intellectual autonomy and advocacy of a comparative sociological approach speaks to many contemporary concerns.
Departmental Seminar Series Hilary Term 2026
Theme: Hidden Histories of Oxford Anthropology
3pm, Fridays of Weeks 1-8, Lecture Room at 64 Banbury Road
Convened by Paul Basu, Clare Harris, David Pratten, Alpa Shah
