Iranian Journal Of Antheropology

Iranian Journal Of Antheropology

Between Suffering and Salvation: From Dark Anthropology to Anthropology of the Good

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Yusef Sarafraz 1
Mehrdad Arabestani 2
1 PhD Candidate of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran
2 Associate Professsor of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/jasi.2026.2088929.1630
Abstract
This article examines two significant theoretical turns in contemporary anthropology: the "dark turn" — or the turn toward the dark dimensions of life — and the "turn toward the good." From the 1980s onward, driven by new global conditions and the discipline's internal dynamics, anthropology distanced itself from the study of the "savage other" and placed the "suffering subject" at the center of inquiry. During this period, topics such as violence, inequality, colonialism, and neoliberalism came to dominate anthropological work, giving rise to a form of critical ethnography termed "dark anthropology." While this orientation opened new horizons for the critique of power and structure, it gradually faced criticism for aestheticizing misery and neglecting the positive dimensions of human life. In response, from the early twenty-first century, the "turn toward the good" emerged, concentrating on concepts such as the good life, happiness, well-being, ethics, hope, and the future. This new research agenda aims to illuminate the ways in which people across different cultures and conditions create and pursue a desirable life. The article argues that these two turns should not be seen as simply oppositional; rather, they can be understood as complementary within a dialectical logic. Discontent and the recognition of an absence are always accompanied by resilience and a search for a path toward flourishing and the filling of that absence. The article also examines the contribution of anthropology to the study of social resilience, and concludes by exploring the methodological implications of these turns for ethnographic practice and the poetics of ethnographic writing.
Keywords
Resilience
happiness
good life
well-being
presence of absence
Subjects
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Iranian Journal Of Antheropology
Volume 22, Issue 41
February 2026
Pages 277-301