Eric Wolf

Eric Robert Wolf (1923-1999) was an Austrian-born American anthropologist and historian known for his neo-Marxist perspective and his emphasis on the historical processes that shaped societies and cultures. He is best known for his book Europe and the People Without History (1982), which argued against the traditional view of non-European societies as isolated and static, emphasizing their interconnectedness with Europe through colonialism and global capitalism.

Wolf received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1951, where he studied under Julian Steward. He taught at the University of Michigan from 1951 to 1971 and then at the City University of New York (CUNY) until his retirement.

Wolf's scholarship challenged conventional anthropological approaches by incorporating historical and political-economic perspectives. He was particularly interested in the ways in which power relations, economic structures, and global processes shaped local cultures and social formations. His work spanned diverse geographical regions, including Latin America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

Key Works:

• Sons of the Shaking Earth (1959) - An anthropological study of Mexico and Guatemala.
• Peasants (1966) - An analysis of peasant societies and their role in global systems.
• Europe and the People Without History (1982) - A seminal work arguing for the interconnectedness of Europe and non-European societies.
• Envisioning Power: Ideologies of Dominance and Crisis (1999) - A posthumously published work exploring the role of ideology in maintaining power.

Influence:

Eric Wolf's work has had a significant influence on the fields of anthropology, history, and sociology. He is considered a key figure in the development of critical anthropology and world-systems theory. His emphasis on historical context, power relations, and global interconnectedness continues to shape scholarly debates about the nature of culture, society, and history.