The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure (Lewis Henry Morgan Lectures)
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In The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure, Victor Turner examines rituals of the Ndembu in Zambia and develops his now-famous concept of "Communitas." He characterizes it as an absolute inter-human relation beyond any form of structure. The Ritual Process has acquired the status of a small classic since these lectures were first published in 1969. Turner demonstrates how the analysis of ritual behavior and symbolism may be used as a key to understanding social structure and processes. He extends Van Gennep's notion of the "liminal phase" of rites of passage to a more general level, and applies it to gain understanding of a wide range of social phenomena. Once thought to be the "vestigial" organs of social conservatism, rituals are now seen as arenas in which social change may emerge and be absorbed into social practice. As Roger Abrahams writes in his foreword to the revised edition: "Turner argued from specific field data. His special eloquence resided in his ability to lay open a sub-Saharan African system of belief and practice in terms that took the reader beyond the exotic features of the group among whom he carried out his fieldwork, translating his experience into the terms of contemporary Western perceptions. Reflecting Turner's range of intellectual interests, the book emerged as exceptional and eccentric in many ways: yet it achieved its place within the intellectual world because it so successfully synthesized continental theory with the practices of ethnographic reports." Review: Astounding, insightful look at Ndembu ritual - Victor Turner is one of the main anthropological thinkers, along with the likes of Claude Levy-Strauss and Mircea Eliade. Unlike other such figures though he speaks deeply on a single culture, the Ndembu in Africa. From this vantage point he discusses ritual patterns both those specific to the Ndembu and those of more universal scope. His thoughts are deep and rich. There are two important contributions Turner makes to the field. The first is in the sense of undifferentiated community he sees in the "comunitas" which naturally lies in tension to social structure. This concept is helpful in understanding ideas of liminality and how it is induced and directed in rites of passage according to the van Gennep model. The second is the notion of antistructure, which is the active challenging of social structures which provides room for creative interplay between society and members of it. This also allows us to interpret ritual as a creative endeavor rather than just a repetition of past patterns. In these ways Turner moves from the more purely structuralist works of Levy-Strauss and Eliade to a slightly more fluid work, building on structuralism but treating cultures as dynamic, homeostatic systems as opposed to rigid, inflexible ones. In this regard it is not always quite clear whether to treat him as a structuralist or a post-structuralist as he seems comfortable moving between both worlds as it suits him. This is an important book. I'd highly recommend it. Review: Good shape - A classic about religion. A good book with some notes
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 62 Reviews |
C**S
Astounding, insightful look at Ndembu ritual
Victor Turner is one of the main anthropological thinkers, along with the likes of Claude Levy-Strauss and Mircea Eliade. Unlike other such figures though he speaks deeply on a single culture, the Ndembu in Africa. From this vantage point he discusses ritual patterns both those specific to the Ndembu and those of more universal scope. His thoughts are deep and rich. There are two important contributions Turner makes to the field. The first is in the sense of undifferentiated community he sees in the "comunitas" which naturally lies in tension to social structure. This concept is helpful in understanding ideas of liminality and how it is induced and directed in rites of passage according to the van Gennep model. The second is the notion of antistructure, which is the active challenging of social structures which provides room for creative interplay between society and members of it. This also allows us to interpret ritual as a creative endeavor rather than just a repetition of past patterns. In these ways Turner moves from the more purely structuralist works of Levy-Strauss and Eliade to a slightly more fluid work, building on structuralism but treating cultures as dynamic, homeostatic systems as opposed to rigid, inflexible ones. In this regard it is not always quite clear whether to treat him as a structuralist or a post-structuralist as he seems comfortable moving between both worlds as it suits him. This is an important book. I'd highly recommend it.
E**M
Good shape
A classic about religion. A good book with some notes
A**G
Dry and dragging at times, but fascinating commentary on human nature
In the introduction, Roger Abrahams makes a point to express what a warm, jovial, theatrical personality Victor Turner had. I suspect he does this because these traits--in fact, any detectable hint of personality--are largely absent from Turner's writing. This is a dry, academic work, and as a non-anthropologist, much of it didn't pertain to me. I'm simply not concerned with the finer points of Ndembu ritual. Nevertheless, I found much value in parts of the book (namely, chapters 3 through 5). I got the book to investigate Turner's distinction between structure and anti-structure (or communitas or liminality, as he variously calls it). Building on Van Gennep's Rites of Passage, Turner identifies a universal psychosocial dynamic running through the human personality and human society: a rational, hierarchical, analytical structure, and a holistic, communal, sacred totality. Turner argues that a dialectic between structure and anti-structure is present in all of our lives and all societies, and that an alternating fluctuation through both elements are integral parts of human life. Neither can rise to ascendancy without creating a distortion, and the wisest approach is a careful balance between the two principles. This is a fascinating discussion with profound implications in anthropology, psychology, politics, economics, and beyond. As a writer, I originally purchased the work to relate its ideas to story structure, and the book doesn't disappoint here, either. For whatever reason you're reading the book, if you can sort through the dry spells and the irrelevant material, there's much here for any student of the humanities to ponder.
H**S
Anthropology and christian sacraments
This book by Victor Turner has introduced me to the anthropological aspects of christian liturgy. I found Chapter 3 to be the best part of the book.
M**N
INTS 3900
I CLEARLY DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT WE READ IN THIS BOOK. I AM SURE SOMETHING, BUT IT HAS BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
Y**I
Five Stars
good！
A**R
Looks new but...
...ripped page.
-**C
Educational
There is so much good information in this text that'll make you think more deeply. At times it was dry, but overall it was a good informative text.
S**R
Five Stars
A classic theoretical work with continuing importance and influence.
M**A
Super !!!!
Bonne référence pour les étudiants en sciences humaines travaillant sur le courant ritualiste en Afrique ou bien en général. Ce monument n'est pas réédité en Français, alors, courage les Amis, ajoutez-le à vos références biblio, celui-ci est incontournable !!!
S**W
Five Stars
As described. Arrived well packaged and on time. Thank you.
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