Exoticisation Undressed is an innovative ethnography that makes visible the many layers through which our understandings of indigenous cultures are filtered and their inherent power to distort and refract understanding. The book focuses in detail on the clothing practices of the Embera in Panama, an Amerindian ethnic group, who have gained national and international visibility through their engagement with indigenous tourism. The very act of gaining visibility while wearing indigenous attire has encouraged among some Embera communities a closer identification with an indigenous identity and a more confident representational awareness. The clothes that the Embera wear are not simply used to convey messages, but also become constitutive of their intended messages. By wearing indigenous-and-modern clothes, the Embera-who are often seen by outsiders as shadows of a vanishing world-reclaim their place as citizens of a contemporary nation. -- .

Dancing with the Gods: Essays in Ga Ritual explores cosmological concepts and ritual actions of the Ga people of southeastern Ghana through case studies of calendrical agricultural rites, social status transition rites, and redressive rites. Based on fieldwork in the 1960s, the essays present descriptive analyses of verbal and non-verbal ritual action. While verbal ritual actions specify ideas pertinent to a particular rite, non-verbal ritual actions express more general concepts. Kilson's analyses show how the same motifs of non-verbal ritual action recur in sacred and secular Ga rites. Whenever and wherever such motifs occur, they convey the same basic underlying Ga concepts, thereby creating a unified conceptual network of belief that is the foundation of the Ga ritual system. The essays in this collection previously appeared in Anthropos, Journal of African Studies, Journal of Religion in Africa, Parabola, and Sextant.

By examining chanoyu - the custom of consuming matcha tea - in the Meiji period, Gathering for Tea in Modern Japan investigates the interactions between intellectual and cultural legacies of the Tokugawa period and the incoming influences of Western ideas, material cultures and institutions. It explores the construction of Japan's modern cultural identity, highlighting the development of new social classes, and the transformation of cultural practices and production-consumption networks of the modern era. Taka Oshikri uses a wealth of Japanese source material - including diaries, newspaper, journal articles, maps, exhibition catalogues and official records - to explore the intricate relationships between the practice and practitioners of different social groups such as the old aristocracy, the emerging industrial elite, the local elite and government officials. She argues that the fabrication of a cultural identity during modernisation was influenced by various interest groups, such as the private commercial sector and foreign ambassadors. Although much is written on the practice of chanoyu in the pre-Tokugawa period and present-day Japan, there are few historical studies focusing on the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Gathering for Tea in Modern Japan thus makes a significant contribution to its field, and will be of great value to students and scholars of modern Japanese social and cultural history.

Originally published in 1923, the following papers contain the results of investigations concerning religion and custom in Borneo and the Malay Peninsula, which were carried out at intervals during the years 1910 to 1921 by the author. It includes chapters on the customs and beliefs of the 'Orangdusun', beliefs and customs of the Sakai, and Malay folk-tales.

Cross-cultural perspective on funerals that emphasizes why groups do what they do In all of our talk of diversity, this book discusses what unites humans in the way we honor death This book succinctly explains the economics of death ceremonies-and why they cost what they do

Cross-cultural perspective on funerals that emphasizes why groups do what they do In all of our talk of diversity, this book discusses what unites humans in the way we honor death This book succinctly explains the economics of death ceremonies-and why they cost what they do

In Psychosocial aspects of niqab wearing Nina Bosankic explores the various motives which lead young women living in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina to adopt the niqab (full face veil). She uses a grounded theory approach to examine this decision which is often viewed as controversial from both within and outside Islam.

This is an annotated critical edition of Articulos de costumbres by the Romantic journalist Mariano Jose de Larra (1809-37), presented with a critical introduction, study guide, glossary and chronology. Larra is still one of the most widely studied Spanish Romantic authors, and his satire of customs and manners in articles such as El castellano viejo, Vuelva usted manana and Nochebuena de 1836 offers an insight into nineteenth century Spanish culture, while probing issues that are still seen as defining of Spanish identity today. Articulos de costumbres, presented here with an extensive annotation that identifies references that have not been previously elucidated, is a central text in the Spanish canon, opening up questions about modern Spain and issues such as political revolution, class identities, social change and the inclusion of Spain within European modernity. -- .

This book examines the development of opposed Nationalist and Unionists identities as products of different economies, symbolically represented in religious differences, that impelled conflicting cultures and ideals of best interest that were fundamentally incompatible within a single identity.

Food, Language, and Society: Communication in Japanese Foodways examines the language of food in Japanese through the lens of cognitive science and cultural studies to explore intriguing ways in which language, food, and culture interact in the fabric of Japanese society. The questions of how, where, and by whom food and food experiences are described provide abundant opportunities for investigating relationships between language and culture from multi-disciplinary perspectives. Linguistic analysis of the language of food enables us to understand cognitive information that motivates and influences people's rhetorical choices on foodways. Detailed discussions reveal that loanwords, mimetics, cooking terms, and metaphors serve as lynchpins to enrich the expressive power of the language of food. Food discourse situated in broader social and cultural contexts also reflect social norms and cultural practices deeply embedded within and beyond our gustatory and culinary life. Food narratives as in cookbooks and advertisements are an informative means for virtual interpersonal communication where individual and group identity is indexed, providing a platform for reexamination of gender and other social norms as response to changes in society. Examined from the interaction of linguistic and sociocultural perspectives, Food, Language, and Society illuminates the form, use, and social meaning of the language of food.

The different stages of a festival's evolution provide a plethora of opportunities for us to better understand our culture, the relationships we build, what we value in our culture and our communities, and how we socialize and interact with one another. Managing and Developing Community Festivals and Events brings together community festival and event research from nine different countries. It critically explores how festivals and their communities develop and impact upon one another. The chapters focus on a wide range of festivals such as food and culinary festivals, art events, religious pilgrimage and feast festivals, as well as a variety of diverse themes such as joy, civil unrest, preservation of cultures and authenticity.

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Systems theory emerged in the mid-20th century along with related theories such as Cybernetics and Information Theory. Recently it has included Complexity Theory, Chaos Theory and Social Systems Theory. Systems theory understands phenomena in terms of the systems of which they are part. This book is about a systems theoretical approach to thinking about art. It examines what it means to look to systems theory both for its implications for artistic practice and as a theory of art. This publication provides a sustained discussion on the application of systems theory to an account of art.

Sorrow and Solace focuses on the importance of cemeteries in the lives of everyday mourners, and ways in which our bereaved give meaning to and draw value from their commemorative activities. The death of someone dear to us is among the most momentous life event that we experience. In many societies, visiting the grave or memorial is a common behavioural response to bereavement. Memorial sites provide vital connections to our deceased loved ones with whom we wish to maintain ongoing social bonds, and cemeteries are crucial places of deep healing and growth. Millions of visits are made to cemeteries every day, but the extent of this activity and its value to those who mourn - the topics of this volume - have long remained largely unrecognised. Large urban memorial parks are hives of activity for recently bereaved persons, and are among the most visited places in Western communities. Some cemeteries, hosting millions of annual visits, are more popular than many major tourist attractions. Cemetery visitation is a high-participatory, value-laden, expressive activity, and a most significant observable behaviour of the recently bereaved. This work will be invaluable to those seeking a scholarly understanding of bereavement, mourning, and commemoration. Written principally for professionals with a tertiary educational interest in related fields, such as grief educators, nurses, palliative carers, and social workers, it is also an important resource for the further education of other carers and service providers, including psychologists, physicians, counsellors, clergy, funeral directors, cemetery administrators, and monumental masons. The book is also a significant contribution to the field of social anthropology.

On December 21, 1972, sixteen young survivors of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 were rescued after spending ten weeks stranded at the crash site of their plane, high in the remote Andes Mountains. The incident made international headlines and spawned several best-selling books, fueled partly by the fact that the young men had resorted to cannibalism to survive.

Matt Rossano examines this story from an evolutionary perspective, weaving together findings and ideas from anthropology, psychology, religion, and cognitive science. During their ordeal, these young men broke "civilized" taboos to fend off starvation and abandoned "civilized" modes of thinking to maintain social unity and individual sanity. Through the power of ritual, the survivors were able to endure severe emotional and physical hardship. Rossano ties their story to our story, seeing in the mortal rituals of this struggle for survival a reflection of what it means to be human.

Originally published in 1923, the following papers contain the results of investigations concerning religion and custom in Borneo and the Malay Peninsula, which were carried out at intervals during the years 1910 to 1921 by the author. It includes chapters on the customs and beliefs of the 'Orangdusun', beliefs and customs of the Sakai, and Malay folk-tales.

Numerous historical and political processes and dynamics have led to the emergence of ethnic minority groups in Central and Eastern Europe, each with its own long history and identity. The breakdown of the Soviet regime, the establishment of new nation-states, and the Eastern enlargement of the European Union have raised new questions for these ethnic groups, questions regarding their feelings of belonging and the main elements of their identity. In contrast to the common assumption that ethnic identities have become prevalent having been suppressed for a long time, this book provides empirical evidence that ethnic minorities typically relate to both their ethnic identity and to the national identity of their country of residence. The contributions reveal that the development and maintenance of ethnic, national and European identities are linked to the socio-economic situation and possible benefits for individuals, their countries, or their specific ethnic minority group. The book also highlights that national and European politics may contribute to ethnic and European identification, particularly in the fields of minority rights (e.g. language rights, voting rights) and integration policies. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Identities journal.

Franz Steiner's study of Taboo is internationally recognized as a classic in its field. In a newly researched introductory chapter, based on a thorough study of Steiner's unpublished papers, this edition for the first time places the book in its context and offers a new reading of the text. More than just a critique of existing taboo theories, as it has often been seen, this study offers a profound analysis of danger behavior and pollution in "non-civilized" societies. This provided an important starting-point for Mary Douglas' Purity and Danger. A key aspect of Steiner's achievement lies in his attempt to reconcile detailed, faithful ethnographic analysis with anthropological comparison. His analysis of taboo thus provides a case study with wide-ranging ramifications. This new edition makes a classic text available once again to students and general readers. A major new introduction based on archival research offers, for the first time, a biography and critical study of Franz Steiner; it not only places him in the context of British and European thought but also shows his importance for contemporary debates, among them deconstruction and Orientalism.

A wide variety of texts (from chronicles to Chaucer) studied for evidence of medieval attitudes towards the processes of change as they affected individuals at all points of their lives. Rites of passage is a term and concept more used than considered. Here, for the first time, its implications are applied and tested in the field of medieval studies: medievalists from a range of disciplines consider the varioustheoretical models - folklorist, anthropological, psychoanalytical - that can be used to analyse cultures of transition in the history and literature of fourteenth-century Europe. Ranging over a wide variety of texts, from chronicles to romances, from priests' manuals to courtesy books, from state records to the writings of Chaucer, Gower and Froissart, the contributors identify and analyse medieval attitudes to the process of change in lifecycle, status,gender and power. A substantive introduction by Miri Rubin draws together the ideas and materials discussed in the book to illustrate the relevance and importance of anthropology to the study of medieval culture. Contributors: JOEL BURDEN, PATRICIA CULLUM, ISABEL DAVIS, JANE GILBERT, SARAH KAY, MARK ORMROD, HELEN PHILLIPS, MIRI RUBIN, SHARON WELLS. NICOLA F. McDONALD is Lecturer in Medieval Literature, the late W.M ORMROD was Professor of Medieval History, University of York.

This book explores how people encounter the pasts of their homes, offering insights into the affective, emotional and embodied geographies of domestic heritage. For many people, the intimacy of dwelling is tempered by levels of awareness that their home has been previously occupied by other people whose traces remain in the objects, decor, spaces, stories, memories and atmospheres they leave behind. This book frames home as a site of historical encounter, knowledge and imagination, exploring how different forms of domestic 'inheritance' - material, felt, imagined, known - inform or challenge people's homemaking practices and feelings of belonging, and how the meanings and experiences of domestic space and dwelling are shaped by residents' awareness of their home's history. The domestic home becomes an important site for heritage work, an intimate space of memories and histories - both our own but also not our own - a place of real and imagined encounters with a range of selves and others. This book will be of interest to academics, students and professionals in the fields of heritage studies, cultural geography, contemporary archaeology, public history, museum studies, sociology and anthropology.

Originally published in the 1930s. A detailed history of the rites, ceremonies and superstitions of our ancient ancestors. Contents Include: Introduction - Cult of the Dead - Mystery of Keltic Philosophy - The Bards - Arcane Tradition in British Medieval Literature - Mystery of the Grail - Secret Tradition in Rite and Legend - Higher Philosophy of British Mysticism - Initiations - Writings of "Morien" - Druidism and Secret Traditions of Ireland - Conclusions. Illustrated. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.