René Girard's theory of mimesis, illustrated by the case of the Yanomami

In their search for truth, many academics fall prey to their own intellectual constructs in an eclectic manner, failing to realise that their theories and their consequences can harm indigenous cultures. With this book, I aim to demonstrate the extent to which academia plays a significant role in the exploitation of indigenous cultures. Drawing on René Girard's theory of mimesis - which I have, in turn, contrasted with other theories in the course of this work - I highlight such exploitation of the Yanomami people in the Amazon region. I therefore wish to regard this work as a warning to the academic world, for the academic discipline of ethnology in particular bears immense shared responsibility for the colonial exploitation of ethnic groups and should therefore be mindful of its own history. All theoretical ideas are useful and helpful to academia, but they should be approached with sufficient reflection and openness to ensure that they do not cause harm to others.