A Matter of Perspective?: Disentangling the Emic-Etic Debate in the Scientific Study of Religion\s

This article introduces the emic–etic debate in the scientific study of religion\s and provides a frame for the special issue’s six articles on the topic. Departing from the broader debate’s early history in the 1960s, this article contextualizes the emic–etic debate and locates its point of entry i...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Method & theory in the study of religion
Authors: Mostowlansky, Till (Author) ; Rota, Andrea 1983- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Brill 2016
In: Method & theory in the study of religion
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Science of Religion / Emic analysis / Etic analysis
RelBib Classification:AA Study of religion
Further subjects:B emic–etic insider–outsider methodology epistemology Pike Harris McCutcheon
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Rights Information:InC 1.0
Description
Summary:This article introduces the emic–etic debate in the scientific study of religion\s and provides a frame for the special issue’s six articles on the topic. Departing from the broader debate’s early history in the 1960s, this article contextualizes the emic–etic debate and locates its point of entry into the scientific study of religion\s in the 1980s. This article argues that in the course of the debate the insider–outsider and emic–etic complexes have become entangled. In order to facilitate an understanding of the debate, this article maintains that the emic–etic debate in the scientific study of religion\s touches upon three central dimensions (existential–political, methodological, and epistemological). In order to move toward a clearer methodological and epistemological framework, this article furthermore proposes an iterative model that locates insider–outsider at the level of observers and emic–etic at the level of categories.
ISSN:1570-0682
Contains:In: Method & theory in the study of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15700682-12341367