Does God Dwell in Detail?: “Detail” and “Concreteness” in Area Studies

Abstract

How microscopic details should be collected and analyzed has often been discussed in area studies. Having studied the social interaction of farmers and hunter-gatherers in Africa, I believe the aphorism often quoted by German art historian Aby Warburg, “God dwells in detail” can be applied to area studies. Through the detailed description of social interactions, analysis can be broadened to many kinds of problems in the area. There are, however, certain conditions that make the study of “details” into area studies. One may be to collect data which are not only “true,” but also “interesting”; and another is to position them correctly in the context of current academic interest.