Drama as An Approach to Anthropology

Zhu Xiaoyang

Published in Open Times, 2024, Issue 5.

Abstract: Taking drama as the approach to anthropology does not necessarily lead to "theater anthropology". Drama as a "ceremony" is consistent with human nature. The relationship between drama and anthropology should therefore be discussed at a more basic level rather than the current superficial extrapolation of conceptual tools between the two disciplines. Hence a "dramatic approach to anthropology". Whether it is the ceremonial animals in Wittgenstein's sense, or the book of songs, rituals, music, they all remind us that the dramatic approach to anthropology should be discussed from the perspective of a kind of human presupposition different from that based on science and rationality. To the extent that literature and art are also anthropological methods, drama is probably the most appropriate of them all. This article discusses the methodological significance of dialogue, ritual moment, life drama, and "living on the stage" for anthropology to examine the affinity of content and form between dialogue and the expression of social thoughts, and the fit of drama as ritual for contemporary anthropological study. Just as Plato's dialogue is a continuous overcome of contradictions through dialectical dialogue until the ideal form is reached, anthropology uses drama as a method to achieve the goal of questioning the way of life through the above-mentioned specific methods.

Keywords: dialogue, ritual moment, life drama, ethnodrama