Paper long abstract:

This paper, based on a (work)life history interview with anthropologist Marja-Liisa Swantz, a pioneer in Finnish anthropology, looks at the theoretical and methodological contributions she has made to the development of anthropology in Finland and beyond. It particularly looks at how her positioning as a woman in the field has shaped her views and research interests and her outlook on the future of Finnish and global anthropology. Her applied perspective on anthropological practice and pioneering approach in the use of the participatory method has been shaped by her particular biography as a missionary, development practitioner and academic. The basis of the interview is broadly structured around these questions; How are we best to use anthropology in the contemporary world? What are the broader societal contributions of anthropology to our understanding of contemporary society? Is there such as thing as a particularly Finnish and woman's perspective to the development of anthropology?