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Synopsis In a world increasingly sanitized by globalisation, the concept of conservation of ethnological heritage becomes ever more relevant. The process of French decolonisation generated new cultural perspectives. There was a growing perception that the cultural markers, which constituted the ethos of a particular group or community, deserved the same degree of recognition and protection as that accorded to natural diversity. The hazards posed by the growing tentacles of mainstream culture were also becoming increasing evident. It was in this context that the discipline of French ethnology was consciously forged and developed. The book covers the history and institutionalization of the discipline. The new dynamics invited fresh anthropological perspectives resulting in the opening up of the field of applied anthropology. The question of the transmission and mapping of savoir-faire, that universe of traditional understanding and skill, in a world transformed by industrialization, has al