Cosmologies in the Making: A Generative Approach to Cultural Variation in Inner New GuineaAll culture, particularly that of non-literate traditions, is constantly being recreated, and in the process also undergoes changes. In this book, Fredrik Barth examines the changes that have taken place in the secret cosmological lore transmitted in male initiation ceremonies among the Mountain Ok of Inner New Guinea, and offers a new way of explaining how cultural change occurs. Professor Barth focuses in particular on accounting for the local variations in cosmological traditions that exist among the Ok people, who otherwise share similar material and ecological conditions, and similar languages. Rejecting existing anthropological theory as inadequate for explaining this, Professor Barth constructs a new model of the mechanisms of change, based on his close empirical observation of the processes of cultural transmission. This model emphasises the role of individual creativity in cultural reproduction and change, and maintains that cosmologies can be adequately understood only if they are regarded as knowledge in the process of communication, embedded in social organization, rather than as fixed bodies of belief. From the model he derives various theoretically grounded hypotheses regarding the probable courses of change that would be generated by such mechanisms. He then goes on to show that these hypotheses fit the actual patterns of variation that are found among the Ok. |
Contents
The problem | 1 |
An attempt at systematic comparison descent and ideas of conception | 10 |
The possible interrelations of subtraditions reading sequence from distribution | 18 |
The context for events of change | 24 |
The results of process variations in connotation | 31 |
Secret thoughts and shared understandings | 38 |
The stepwise articulation of a vision | 46 |
Experience and concept formation | 55 |
The insights pursued by Ok thinkers | 65 |
General and comparative perspectives | 74 |
Some reflections on theory and method | 83 |
| 89 | |
| 93 | |
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Cosmologies in the Making: A Generative Approach to Cultural Variation in ... Fredrik Barth No preview available - 1987 |
Common terms and phrases
abstract agnatic blood Amowk analysis ancestors articulated associated Baktaman Barth Bimin Bimin-Kuskusmin Bolovip bones cassowary clan cult co-variation coherence colour concepts concrete symbols connections construct context creativity cult of ancestors cultural materials descent developed domestic pigs elaborate exogamy experience expression Faiwol Faiwolmin female fertility gender ibid ideas idioms imagery Imigabip individual Jack Goody Katiam kind Kuskusmin logical Mafom Mafomnang male marsupial menstrual blood metaphor Mountain Ok mystery myths neighbouring novices Obeyesekere object Ok communities Ok cosmology Ok ritual Ok tradition pandanus fruit pandanus wigs participation particular patrilineal pattern performance persons Poole praxis relations relics rites ritual expert sacred symbols secrecy secret semen senior sexual significance social anthropology social organization society structure sub-traditions taboo taro taro gardens Telefol Telefolmin temple theme theory Tifalmin tradition of knowledge transformations transmission ubir variation verbal whereby wild boar Wopkaimin Yolam