Fernando Ortiz
The life and work of Fernando Ortiz form an area of intense interest for researchers from across the globe. The intellectual was a famous sociologist and anthropologist of his time, promoting progressive ideas, which have retained their relevance throughout decades. In the age of globalization, as the planet figuratively becomes smaller, the work of Fernando Ortiz appears particularly valuable.
Moore (2017) writes that Ortiz is “recognized today as one of the most influential Latin American authors of the 20th century” (para. 1). His works dedicated to intercultural particularities and relations were ahead of their time and have inspired generations of researchers. While the range of themes covered by Fernando Ortiz is rather broad, his most significant contribution to sociology lies in the field of Afro-Cuban studies. Overall, he managed to provide insight into the nature of the Latin American cultural code while putting it in the general context of intercultural relations.
In spite of the fact that Ortiz is now known as one of the pioneers of transculturality, his early life was mainly related to other activities. He used to work as a criminologist and a lawyer, becoming one of the first experts who advocated fingerprinting as one of the tools of police work at the time (Echevarria, 2020). During his career in Havana, Ortiz had much experience with criminals of African origin.
These encounters allowed him to acquire a deeper understanding of the African people’s mindset, including their values, beliefs, and aspirations. This area became a major source of inspiration for Ortiz, prompting him to conduct more in-depth research in this direction. In fact, his criminological work with black people changed the course of his life and became the turning point for Ortiz. The experience resulted in Ortiz’s further involvement with social sciences and inspired him to become of the most progressive thinkers of the 20th century.
Cuban Counterpoint: Tobacco and Sugar
In the course of his life, Fernando Ortiz published multiple writings covering the important themes of the time. His earlier works were closely connected to the issues surrounding the population of African origin in Cuba (Echevarria, 2020). Ortiz studied a wide range of topics, from African neologism in the Cuban dialect to the history of slavery in the region. As a result, his earlier writings published between the 1900s and 1930s became a major inspiration for African-Cuban movements. However, the most influential work by Fernando Ortiz was published a decade later.
Having conducted profound research on the African influence on the Cuban communities, Ortiz expanded on his previous findings. This process resulted in his seminal writing titled Cuban Counterpoint: Tobacco and Sugar. The work provides insight into the very nature of Latin American culture through the prism of these two essential Cuban products (Ortiz, 1947). The author artfully utilizes the ethnological contrast, comparing “the generality of sugar and the particularity of tobacco” (Holbraad, 2019, p. 5). This way, he is able to grasp the Cuban soul and transmit his progressive ideas in a comprehensible form.
Reichardt (2020) writes that Cuban Counterpoint: Tobacco and Sugar became a work of paramount importance, providing the global sociological community with the notion of transculturality. Ortiz’s ideas spread across the globe, inspiring further research in this direction in Europe and North America. The progressive ideas, expanding the views of cultural identification, became particularly relevant in the following decades. As the complexity of the social landscape continues to increase, so does the importance of Fernando Ortiz’s contribution to the field of cultural studies.
References
Echevarria, R. (2020). Fernando Ortiz. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web.
Holbraad, M. (2019). No sugar, please! Tobacco anthropology and the merits of contingent conceptualisation. Anthropologica, 61(1), 5–11. Web.
Moore, R. (2017). Fernando Ortiz on Afro-Cuban music. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History. Web.
Ortiz, F. (1995). Cuban counterpoint: Tobacco and sugar. Duke University Press Books.
Reichardt, D. (2020). Creating notions of transculturality: The work of Fernando Ortiz and his impact on Europe. In E. Sturm-Trigonakis (Ed.), World literature and the postcolonial (pp. 69-83). J.B. Metzler.