Abstract
This talk uses my struggle to write anthropologically about the welfare state in Amsterdam/The Netherlands to reflect on the state of the anthropology of the state. In dealing with conundrums and divergent reactions to my attempts at writing the state, ranging from enthusiastic to damning, I was reminded of Marcus’ 2008 critique of what he called a neo-pluralist orthodoxy in anthropological approaches to the state. He argued that most anthropologists use an implicit theorisation of the state as one of a number of powerful actors, but rarely explicitly theorise the state and state powers. My own experiences trying to write about the welfare state point to a similar lack of explicit theorisation, combined with deeply dissonant views of and engagements with the state. In this talk, I will first set out two attempts at writing the state and the divergent reactions I/we received, and indicate why I think they point to an undertheorisation of the state combined with deeply ingrained moral positions vis-a-vis that ubiquitous yet elusive entity.
25 Nov 2021