The Politics of Divination: A Processual View of Reactions to Illness and Deviance Among the Suala of Northern Ghana - Couverture souple

Mendonsa, Eugene

 
9780595128235: The Politics of Divination: A Processual View of Reactions to Illness and Deviance Among the Suala of Northern Ghana
Couverture souple
ISBN 10 : 0595128238 ISBN 13 : 9780595128235
Editeur : iUniverse, 2000

Synopsis

The Politics of Divination, first published in 1982, was a ground breaking work in the political economy of an African culture, the Sisala of Northern Ghana. The author shows how elders use divination as a political tool to control the behavior of women and young men. Gerontocratic control through ritual means is an attempt by elders to dominate the economic activities of youthful men, and the production and reproduction of women. Yet, the elders are not entirely successful in such attempts, and their efforts at social control sometimes have less than altruistic motives, as the many cases in the book show. The author presents divination and ancestral sacrifice in a processual view. Within the context of the divinatory process strategizing elders work and rework the rules of their society to deal with real life situations, illness, misfortune and death. Like many other Africans, the Sisala believe that such misfortunes are ultimatley caused by ancestral anger, which can be seen as a reflection of social tension and conflict among the living. Divination points out deviants in the family who are poised as the cause of such misfortunes, and this conflict is rectified through ancestral propitiation via blood sacrifice on family shrines.

Les informations fournies dans la section « Synopsis » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.

Présentation de l'éditeur

The Politics of Divination, first published in 1982, was a ground breaking work in the political economy of an African culture, the Sisala of Northern Ghana. The author shows how elders use divination as a political tool to control the behavior of women and young men. Gerontocratic control through ritual means is an attempt by elders to dominate the economic activities of youthful men, and the production and reproduction of women. Yet, the elders are not entirely successful in such attempts, and their efforts at social control sometimes have less than altruistic motives, as the many cases in the book show. The author presents divination and ancestral sacrifice in a processual view. Within the context of the divinatory process strategizing elders work and rework the rules of their society to deal with real life situations, illness, misfortune and death. Like many other Africans, the Sisala believe that such misfortunes are ultimatley caused by ancestral anger, which can be seen as a reflection of social tension and conflict among the living. Divination points out deviants in the family who are poised as the cause of such misfortunes, and this conflict is rectified through ancestral propitiation via blood sacrifice on family shrines.

Biographie de l'auteur

Eugene L. Mendonsa recieved his Ph.D from Cambridge University, with field work in Ghana and Portugal. Teacher and consultant, he provides cross-cultural communications training for corporations. His forthcoming book is Conflict and Change in a West African society: Sisala elders, women & Youth. He teaches anthropology at the University of Colorado.

Les informations fournies dans la section « A propos du livre » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.

Éditeur
iUniverse
Date d'édition
2000
Langue
anglais
ISBN 10 
0595128238
ISBN 13 
9780595128235
Reliure
Broché
Nombre de pages
292
Coordonnées du fabricant
non disponible
Personne responsable
non disponible