Pragmatism (Other Keyword)

DOCUMENT Citation Only Audrey Horning.

The ‘ontological turn’ in archaeology encourages the decentering of the human subject, and the longstanding focus upon identity, in favour of exploring material relationalities. While the discipline may congratulate itself for finally finding a way out of the twin traps of Enlightenment dualism and the humanism which underpins neoliberal geopolitics, it runs the risk of becoming even less relevant to society at large at a time when global conflicts are widely understood through the lens of...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Robert Preucel.

In 2010, Steve Mrozowski and I proposed a "new pragmatism" as a way for archaeology to cut the Gordion knot of endless theory debates. We argued that this movement or spirit does not refer to the dominance of any one approach or theory, but rather to the more explicit integration of archeology and its social contact in ways that serve contemporary human needs. In my contribution, I example the relevance of some of the insights of Richard Rorty and Jurgen Habermas in developing a pragmatic...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Stephen Mrozowski.

This paper outlines some of the lessons learned from more than a decade of working with the Hassanamisco Nipmuc of Massachusetts. During the course of this evolving collaboration there have been many epistemological and ontological challenges. Chief among these has been finding common ground between the questions pursued archaeologically and those that hold relevancy for indigenous peoples. Rather than seeing these as contrasting purposes the Hassanamesit Woods Project has found productive ways...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Stephen Mrozowski.

This paper outlines the continuing development of the Hassanamesit Woods Project – a ten-year collaboration between the Fiske Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Nipmuc Nation of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Drawing inspiration from the writings of pragmatic philosophers such as Fredrick Peirce, John Dewey, Henry James, Richard Rorty and Patrick Baert, this paper outlines the benefits of working collaboratively with indigenous groups such as the...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Carol McDavid.

Pragmatism is a challenging approach for a host of reasons – some emerge from the cultural behaviors and institutional structures of the academy, and others from the inequities that persist in modern society. It is also a profoundly satisfying one, when it "works". This paper will reflect upon the opportunities and pitfalls encountered while "using" pragmatism over the past 20 years (practicing public and community archaeology, working with community groups and professional societies, editing a...