"Here/There: Immigrants, Comparison and Critique" by Yannis Papadakis (University of Cyprus)
Discussant: Dimitris Antoniou (Columbia University)  
University Seminar in Modern Greek

In this paper, based on fieldwork with Greek and Greek Cypriot immigrants in Denmark, I focus on immigrants’ comparative viewpoints, in order to reflect on comparison, a key anthropological interest. Given that immigrants routinely employ a comparative discourse by comparing their country of origin with where they now live – which I formulate as ‘t/here’ – the questions I raise are how immigrants use comparison, and how this can enable us to reflect on the limitations of anthropology’s own comparative project. A further interest is how engagement with immigrants can further theoretical reflection on specific anthropological concepts. Cultural intimacy, a concept first developed by Michael Herzfeld, subsequently used by many others, is critically discussed by drawing from insights gained from the immigrants’ comparative perspectives.