Summary of Works by Hiroko Miyazaki and Graham Jones

This essay provides a summary of two books written by Hirokazu Miyazaki and Graham M Jones on Cultural Anthropology. The books explore the idea of culture and the method of hope. The essay reflects on the theoretical relevant themes and the relevance of the texts. It also provides a comprehensive conclusion that reflects on the ideas and finalizes the summary essay conducted in this document.

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Summary of Works by Hiroko Miyazaki and Graham Jones
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The subject of Anthropology reflects vastly on human life. Science and humanities
intersect in this subject. In the current essay, the reflection would be exerted on the
humanities side of Anthropology. The analysis would be conducted on books based on
Cultural Anthropology which would explore the idea of culture and other on the method of
hope. The summative study would be conducted on two books written by Hirokazu Miyazaki
and Graham M Jones. The upcoming discussions would work with a summary of books,
theoretical relevant themes, and the relevance of the texts. A comprehensive conclusion
would reflect on the ideas and finalize the summary essay conducted in this document. It
would help to become a guideline for further study and analyses the works by the authors on
branches of anthropology.
In his book, ‘The Method of Hope’, Hirokazu Miyazaki is driven by a single question,
how to keep the hopes alive? The book tries to connect anthropology closely with philosophy
(Miyazaki 2006, 2). The people from Fiji utilizes relies on long-standing hope which drives
them to regain the ancestral land. In addition, the writer criticizes philosophical text on hope
by Ernst Bloch. An anthropological engagement with philosophy is attempted in the book,
The Method of Hope. Social theory has a year old debate on reclaiming category of hope
within a progressive thought. Hirokazu Miyazaki reflects an ethnographic analysis in terms of
hope production in Fijian knowledge (Miyazaki 2006, 5). It is related to a reading of the
philosophical texts as a source. In this way, the author creates a new space where a new
connection can be established among anthropology and philosophy.
Graham Jones in his book Magic Reason reflects on apparatus of Western
imperialism, which helped to establish a rationale for colonialism. Furthermore, it challenged
the modern day anthropologists to critical reflection on the construct of discipline. Jones
identifies magic as an important idea in anthropology (Jones 2017, 6). He argued that the

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concept of the shaman, fortune-tellers had an interesting association of learning about the
culture. Jones had emphasized on the importance of understanding the intellectual
relationship in terms of magic and anthropology. Hence, it has laid down a new argument in
the heart of anthropology and intellectual understanding expanded through the use of magic
by French magicians (Jones 2017, 8). It has added an interesting aspect to anthropological
study which was otherwise puzzled the anthropological experts in recent times.
In the book Method of Hope, the relation between knowledge and hope. It further
reflects on how hope is produced in various forms in terms of Fijian knowledge, philosophy
as well as anthropology. The book widely covers that Fijian knowledge correlates with hope
through archival researches and giving gifts. There are mentions about Christian rituals from
the church, the business practices (Miyazaki 2006, 11). The author lays down an effective
comparison with the concept of hope in terms of the work of famous Philosophers like Kant,
Blosch, Benjamin and Rorty. The book is a triggering concept which focuses on hope as a
distinct agenda of anthropology in progressive thought. The book is an interesting attempt to
provide space for creating a strong relationship between philosophy and anthropology.
In his book Magic’s Reason, Graham Jones reflects on the entwined story between
entertainment magic as well as anthropology. The two pursuits may seem far apart from each
other. But in reality, they are much closer than they are assumed to be different. Both
anthropology and magic had matured themselves as demonstrated by Jones. Graham Jones
reflected that both anthropology and magic had a shared mutually position in terms of
modernity and rationality. Jones, in his book, has brought together magic which has been
enshrined within the anthropological argument (Jones 2017, 13). The book has become an
effective cross-cultural comparison from a new perspective which was under analysis and
question. Hence, Jones has tried to open new areas where rationalism meets the magic with
an anthropological perspective in an effective manner.

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The Method of Hope by Miyazaki tries to identify a place for hope in rationalism or
formation of knowledge. It also focuses on trying to capture a category for hope in social
theory. The author claims that the key to right winged governmental success is in its ability to
lay down hope in a negative framing. In his further words, Miyazaki reflects that societies are
a method of mechanics to distribute hope (Miyazaki 2006, 1). Miyazaki uses the case study
of Fijians, to be specific to the Savou people. In his further search, he identified the power of
hope when he observed that Savou people kept on making a petition to the people despite the
Government deciding not to reopen the case of Savou’s ancestral land. Hence, the quest for
identifying hope has been well established with discussion and analysis.
Magic Reason plays with an interesting theme. Graham tries to explore magic in
anthropological terms. Graham argued that previously scholars treated the Western illusions
like a rabbit in the hat tricks as superfluous. Though it was not totally irrelevant with their
understanding of culture and anthropology, the expert’s scarcely referred to it (Jones 2017,
3). People often confused magic and supernatural rituals. Hence, the entirety of theme in
relation to magic was not considered as an appropriate approach to anthropology or relate
with it in any manner. Though there were examples of anthropological magic theory, the
concept was not up to the mark. There Graham’s theme worked to provide a strong relation
on magic in relation to the anthropological approach.
Texts by Miyazaki and Graham Jones have good significance in the field of
anthropology. The individual writers try to open new areas and perspective of
anthropological studies. These books are such contribution which guides a new area of
analysis and discussion.
Miyazaki’s focus relied on identifying a new category for hope is a social theory.
Hope in anthropology is an argued section which possesses a lack of comprehensive support

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and expert advice. Miyazaki introduced the case study of Fijians, especially the Savou people
and their petition on ancestral land (Miyazaki 2006, 15). The book, Method of Hope
combines the attempt on anthropology, philosophy and Fijian knowledge. Anthropology had
lacked the concrete evidence on the identification of hope as a developed category in social
mythology. It is a strong area where Miyazaki and his books spread ample light trying to
figure out an effective connection through a case study.
Graham Jones works an interesting aspect of linking anthropology and magic which
previously ignored or there was no clear connection. He brings out the connection with
anthropology and magic through French magicians and claimed that both had matured during
the same timeline (Jones 2017, 21). Hence, strong evidence has been established by Jones
when tries to identify the position of Western magic and shaman, deity gods in a similar line.
He tried to identify the social agenda behind magic and indigenous arts.
Both the authors keep a good contribution by introducing new arguments in the field
of anthropology. Further analysis would open new doors which were otherwise unexplored or
ignored due to lack of comprehensive literary sources.
It can be concluded that though anthropology works with humans both on a social and
scientific basis, there are aspects which are still not recognized as a social method or
anthropological standpoints. In these areas, the books by Miyazaki and Graham Jones enter
the discussion. The writers have well-guarded their ideas with a comprehensive argument and
thesis. New ideas in relation to anthropological theories have been drawn based on hope and
magic respectively. Hence, both literary pieces provide ample attention and association by
adding new areas of thought and analysis in terms of anthropological study. Further
researches would definitely stand with help from the literary pieces identified as a valuable
contribution.

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Bibliography
Jones, Graham M. 2017. Magic's reason: An anthropology of analogy. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press.
Miyazaki, Hirokazu. 2006. The method of hope: anthropology, philosophy, and Fijian
knowledge. London: Stanford University Press.