Up the anthropologist: Perspectives gained from studying up

Laura Nader's essay urging anthropologists to study up, that is, to study the powerful. Both papers extend the term from power to capability: studying up (P11) is the investigation of systems that may exceed the investigator in capability, restrict access to themselves, model the investigator, and act on the investigation. Its instruments must not depend on out-thinking their subjects.

Cited in

both papers (Flagship: Organisms that read us; Companion §8)

Used for

P11P11; studying up

Strand

Studying up: reflexivity, observation & method · Reflexivity, performativity & studying up

Cite

@incollection{nader1972up,
  title = {Up the anthropologist: Perspectives gained from studying up},
  author = {Laura Nader},
  year = {1972},
  howpublished = {Reinventing Anthropology, Pantheon Books},
  url = {https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED065375},
}