Argonauts, a hundred years later

Starting from the intrinsic relationship between theory and ethnography, in this article I discuss some of the reasons why Argonauts of the Western Pacific is, even today, a central reference for the social sciences. A precursor of intensive field research, Malinowski defined guidelines, favored new theories, nurtured ideals, formulated utopias and influenced other humanities disciplines, becoming himself a mythological figure in anthropology. He left for the future generations the challenge of searching for the “native’s point of view” and the elaboration of “ethnographic theories”. The text also addresses the research style prior to Malinowski’s, the form of the monograph, the relationship between his field diary and letters written at the time, and the reanalysis to which the book was submitted.

Keywords:
ethnographic theory; Argonauts of the Western Pacific; Malinowski; trobrianders