What Future for Anthropology in Algeria?

The text offers a critical reflection on anthropology, its colonial legacy, and its possible role in the study of contemporary societies, particularly in Algeria. It shows that anthropology, long associated with the colonial gaze and Western ethnocentrism, has nonetheless produced valuable knowledge about the societies it studied and can now be critically reappropriated. The author argues that anthropology should not be rejected because of its past, but rather rethought as a tool for understanding the mechanisms of constructing otherness and identity, including within modern societies. It can help move beyond intellectual narcissism and ethnocentric perspectives while fostering a reflexive approach to one’s own society. The text also criticizes classical sociology for being overly classificatory and unable to grasp the complexity of local realities. It proposes the development of a socio-anthropological approach combining observation, description, and interpretation to better understand social, cultural, and symbolic dynamics.