Roundtable discussionThinking about "the other"It was organized to celebrate the launch of the translated version of the book.Sad tropicsThe seminar aimed to introduce the book and the contributions of author Claude Lévi-Strauss to Vietnamese readers. It was organized by Tri Thuc Publishing House in collaboration with the French Embassy in Vietnam, the Phan Chau Trinh Cultural Foundation, and the French School of Far Eastern Studies (EFEO).
This is an opportunity for those interested in anthropology, ethnology, philosophy in general, and the role and contributions of author Claude Lévi-Strauss to participate in an open dialogue. Following the speakers' presentations, the seminar devoted most of its time to expert and public discussions on the book's content and the author's evaluation.
The seminar featured the following speakers:
- Mr. Nguyen Ngoc – Writer, Cultural researcher;
- Olivier Tessier – An anthropologist working at the French School of Far Eastern Studies;
- Mr. Do Lai Thuy – Cultural researcher, representative of the translators.
Time2:30 PM – 4:00 PM, October 23, 2009 (Friday)
LocationL'Espace – French Cultural Center, 24 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi.
"I hate voyages and explorers." This is the opening line of the work.
Sad tropicsClaude Lévi-Strauss's (1955) might seem paradoxical, but it shaped his worldview. The encounter with "the other" and "the others," the ethnographer's groundbreaking efforts to decipher the complexity of culture within each society, are precisely the elements that contribute to defining universality and affirming the extraordinary diversity of humankind.
Sad tropicsIt is a deeply humanistic narrative, a blend of travelogue, literary text, and ethnographic research, and from this intersection, the author offers a distant and sometimes seemingly disillusioned perspective on human impulses: “When the rainbow of human civilizations is no longer submerged in the void dug by our anger; when we are still there and a world still exists – then that fragile bridge that connects us to the unattainable remains…”
(Excerpt)Press release from Tri Thuc Publishing House)