This article suggests that a critical analysis of postmodem and existentialist underpinnings reveals common political and ethical problems. These problems have an unsettling legacy in contemporary cultural anthro pology and cultural studies, especially for many of those who see themselves at the cutting edge of critically reflexive representations. Against this back ground, perspectives grounded in critical humanism are better at exposing and grappling with these problems, as well as facilitating better ethnographic documentation.
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