Eduardo P. Archetti

The Centre for Social Anthropology at the Institute of Economic and Social Development (CAS-IDES) provides, since 2006, the "Eduardo Archetti" prize for the best anthropological master's thesis from Argentina, Norway, Ecuador and Guatemala.

Interested in studying the rural phenomenon in Latin America, he attempted to realize his doctoral thesis in Cuba. He, however, did not receive the subsidy nor authorization from the Cuban government. He decided on the northern Santa Fé province, Argentina. He was based in the Friulian colonies which produced cotton in the region. Supervised by Godelier, he completed his investigation and presented his doctoral thesis entitled 'Economy and trade union organization among colonists in Northern Santa Fe, Argentina' in 1976. The military coup hastened his return to Europe. He defended his thesis at the University of Oslo and was designated Research Fellow in the Department of Anthropology.

He later pursued studies at the University of Buenos Aires. He began to study law but only spent three years. He became interested in sociology, getting acquainted with Gino Germani, Juan Carlos Portantiero and Eliseo Verón. He graduated in 1967. He then travelled to Paris. He into the Practical School of Advanced Studies (la École Pratique des Hautes Études). During this time he took courses with Claude Lévi-Strauss and Maurice Godelier and was introduced to social anthropology.

Eduardo P. Archetti or more affectionately Lali Archetti (Santiago del Estero, April 12, 1943 – Oslo, June 6, 2005) was an Argentine anthropologist and sociologist, essayist and educator, considered one of the most original social scientists in Latin America. He was a pioneer of the anthropological approach to sports and its relationship to the collective imagination. He died of cancer in Norway, while still the director of the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo.

Archetti was born in the province of Santiago del Estero on 12 April 1943. His father was a doctor. He studied at the Military School “General Paz” in Córdoba and completed his secondary education at the Absalón Rojas School in 1960.