Petr Skalník, born in Prague, Czech Republik, in 1945. Ph.D. from Charles University, Prague. Associate Professor at the Department of Cultural Anthropology, Charles University, Prague.
Fellow (1 September 2001 – 30 June 2002)
At last I had time to evaluate the work I had produced over the last decade or so. Most important was the opportunity to work without the usual stress that accompanies my whole existence at home. I managed to read new books I cannot get hold of in Prague.
I made considerable progress with my book project “Naam versus State: Indigenous authority and State Power in the Gold Coast/Ghana” during my stay at NIAS. I managed to draft all five chapters as envisaged in my research proposal. The dimensions of naam among the various population groups are now clear and I now have a much better understanding of how Nanumba society is held together: what the cohesive forces are comprised of and how they function. I also finalised the proposal for a workshop on “Chiefdom: a universal political formation?” which will take place in Summer 2003 in Bellagio, Italy.
I also used my time at NIAS to work on a broader topic in political anthropology, namely political culture. One of the papers on this topic was published during my stay. I also prepared and edited a book for publication, which maps the state of socio-cultural anthropology in Central and Eastern Europe.