Chris Knight (anthropologist)

Chris Knight (anthropologist)
Chris Knight at the 2009 G20 protests in London

Chris Knight (born 1942) is a British anthropologist and political activist.

Following an MPhil in Russian Literature from the University of Sussex in 1977,[1] he gained his PhD in 1987 at the University of London for a thesis on Claude Lévi-Strauss's four-volume Mythologiques. He became a lecturer in anthropology at the University of East London in 1989 and a professor at the same institution in 2000.[2] Knight is a founding member of the Radical Anthropology Group (RAG).[3]

Knight is best known for his theory that human language, religion and culture emerged in the human species not simply by gradual Darwinian evolution but in a process culminating in revolutionary social change. In this, he claims to be following in the footsteps of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, who in their later years were fascinated by what was then the new science of anthropology.[4] Knight published his first book, Blood Relations: Menstruation and the origins of culture in 1991.[5] Since then, he has been a major figure in debates on the origins of human symbolic culture and especially the origin of language.

Initially a supporter of the Militant tendency, Chris Knight was later a founder editor of the journal Labour Left Briefing[6] (he remains on the board[7]) and has a long record of political activism. Although a Marxist,[8] he is often mistakenly described by the press as an anarchist. During the build-up to the 2009 G-20 Summit in London, he was involved in a street theatre group known as The Government of the Dead.[9] Statements he made at this time in an interview[6] for the London Evening Standard[5] (and the PM programme[10]) led the Corporate Management Team at the University of East London to charge him with 'gross professional misconduct', 'insubordination' and 'bringing the university into disrepute'. He was suspended on 26 March 2009[2] and, despite a petition signed by 600 academics and others, was 'summarily dismissed' on 22 July 2009. He is now a visiting lecturer and Professor of Anthropology at the University of Comenius, Bratislava, Slovakia.[citation needed]

On 28 April 2011, he was one of three people arrested "on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance and breach of the peace". The three were planning a mock execution of The Duke of York in central London on the following day, to coincide with the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.[11][12][13]

Contents

Selected writings

Books

See also

References

  1. ^ Robin Dunbar, Chris Knight and Camilla Power (eds), The Evolution of Culture: an Interdisciplinary View (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1999), p. viii
  2. ^ a b Richard Rogers and Paul Lewis, "Professor suspended over claims he incited G20 violence" The Guardian, 27 March 2009
  3. ^ A Brief History of RAG. Retrieved 30 April 2011
  4. ^ Frederick Engels, 1884. The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State
  5. ^ a b Melanie Newman, "UEL suspends 'Mr Mayhem' and cancels alternative G20", Times Higher Education, 2 April 2009
  6. ^ a b David Cohen, "Meet Mister Mayhem", Evening Standard (thisislondon website), 25 March 2009
  7. ^ "About Labour Briefing" Retrieved 30 April 2011 (Labour Briefing is the present title)
  8. ^ Interview for Ready Steady Book, 2 March 2006 Retrieved 30 April 2011
  9. ^ The Government of the Dead website Retrieved 30 April 2011
  10. ^ Fiona Hamilton, "Anarchist professor Chris Knight suspended after G20 'threat'", The Times, 26 March 2009
  11. ^ David Batty, "Royal wedding protest: three anti-capitalist activists arrested" The Guardian, 28 April 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011
  12. ^ Zombie Wedding invitation Retrieved 29 April 2011
  13. ^ Robert Booth, Sandra Laville and Shiv Malik, "Royal wedding: police criticised for pre-emptive strikes against protesters" The Guardian, 29 April 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Christopher Knight — may refer to: Christopher Knight (actor), played Peter Brady on the 1970s series The Brady Bunch Chris Knight (anthropologist) (born 1942), founding member of the Radical Anthropology Group Christopher Knight (author), author Christopher Knight… …   Wikipedia

  • Origins of society — The origins of society the evolutionary emergence of distinctively human social organization is an important topic within evolutionary biology, anthropology, prehistory and palaeolithic archaeology.[1][2] While little is known for certain,… …   Wikipedia

  • Origin of language — The origin of language is the emergence of language in the human species. This is a highly controversial topic, empirical evidence being so limited that many regard it as unsuitable for serious scholars. In 1866, the Linguistic Society of Paris… …   Wikipedia

  • Menstruation — Not to be confused with mensuration , a mathematical and a forestry term meaning measurement. See also: Menstrual cycle and Menstruation (mammal) Menstrual cycle Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining (endometrium). It occurs on… …   Wikipedia

  • List of University of Florida people — Notable alumni or attendeescience and mathematics*Mark Adler, American researcher, known for his work in data compression, and creator of zlib and gzip *Linda H. Aiken, Current Director of the Center of Health Outcomes and Policy Research, and… …   Wikipedia

  • literature — /lit euhr euh cheuhr, choor , li treuh /, n. 1. writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. 2.… …   Universalium

  • List of University of Oregon people — This List of University of Oregon people includes graduates, former students that did not obtain a degree, presidents, staff, and faculty of the University of Oregon.The university opened in 1876 and the first class contained only five members,… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Duke University people — This list of Duke University people includes alumni, faculty, presidents, and major philanthropists of Duke University, which includes three undergraduate and ten graduate schools. The undergraduate schools include Trinity College of Arts and… …   Wikipedia

  • Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact — For modern theories on how the Americas were first settled, see Settlement of the Americas. Theories of Pre Columbian trans oceanic contact are those theories that propose interaction between indigenous peoples of the Americas who settled the… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Cornell University people — Cornellians are persons affiliated with Cornell University, commonly including alumni, current and former faculty members, students, and others. Here follows a list of notable Cornellians.40 Nobel laureates have been affiliated with Cornell as… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”