Max Gluckman and the making of Israeli anthropology

In the history of anthropology, charismatic individuals have often played a major role in the creation and institutionalization of the discipline. Although current Israeli anthropology has been greatly influenced by contemporary theoretical trends and professional genres, one can still observe the impact of Max Gluckman's Manchester School project of the 1960s and 1970s. The paper will examine the success and failure of this research endeavor, which sought to reveal the process of community and nation-building in the aftermath of mass immigration from Europe and the Middle East. The paper will also discuss the existing professional scene and the social constraints that influenced the development of anthropology in Israeli academia before and after the Manchester project.