Hilda Kuper

Hilda Beemer Kuper ( born August 23, 1911 in Bulawayo, † 1992) was a Zimbabwean anthropologist. She developed a strong interest in political relationships in research and is considered a forerunner of political anthropology. They dealt with the privileges of the white settlers, and the conflicts and tensions within the white population.

Life

Kuper grew up in a European Jewish family - her Viennese mother and Lithuanian father had emigrated to the turn of the century to Africa. Later, family conflicts between Jews and non-Jews occurred, and further tension in the course of World War: her mother and her brother were pro-German, the father was on the British side. Hilda Kupper studied literature, theater and drama in London. Later she was an anthropologist and helped wrongly punished. She worked with Alfred Radcliffe -Brown in Cape Town and was very impressed with her ​​teacher W. Hoernle.

Kuper grappled with Evolutionistinnen - Kulturkreislehre, met the African explorer Frobenius and the sociological Durkheimschule know. It operated as a student field research in the slums of Johannesburg. There were burning Indian immigrants, especially women, secretly liquor to fund the school fees. These women were easily caught and locked up in prisons. At that time, Kuper supervised their children and examined the lives of women in prison and their children.

She wrote a dissertation on the research field of Swaziland ( recognition of the Boers ).

First real fieldwork accompanied by Malinowski, she came to Lobamba, resided at Queen Mum, while the care of Queen Mum and Malinowski were all three in detail. By Malinowski protection and friendship but also envy in the population. Original research: magic, healing. Lectureship at university in South Africa, for liberal party against apartheid, accepts citizenship of Swazi - land, honorary doctorate. Influenced by the Manchester School ( Max Glucksmann ). One sees similarity with Foucault that shows structures and connections.

Kuper and was married to a philosopher who was interested in South African law with whom she had two children. She taught at the University of the Witwatersrand (1940 to 1945), at the University of Natal ( 1959-1962 ) and at the University of California ( 1963-1978 ).

• Zimbabwean
• Anthropologist
• Born in 1911
• Died in 1992
• Woman