The author argues that Zambian rural anthropology is on the decline, and that this decline is related to the reliance, among anthropologists, on the tribe and ethnic group as the basic unit of... Show moreThe author argues that Zambian rural anthropology is on the decline, and that this decline is related to the reliance, among anthropologists, on the tribe and ethnic group as the basic unit of study in the past; that the one way to escape from the tribal model on the analytical plane without sacrificing the subjects' own organization of their experience, is to try to explain this experience as a form of consciousness emerging out of the dialectics of political incorporation and, even more fundamentally, the penetration of capitalism, in other words, the articulation of capitalism and a non-capitalist mode of production. The chapter is based on research among the Nkoya of western Zambia, an earlier version of it was published in 'Journal of Southern African Studies', vol. 8, no. 1, (1981/82), pages 51-81. Show less
The myth, the author focus upon, is that of Sidi Mhammad, a local saint venerated in N.W. Tunisia. After presenting the myth and briefly indicating the relatively ahistorical elements, the author... Show moreThe myth, the author focus upon, is that of Sidi Mhammad, a local saint venerated in N.W. Tunisia. After presenting the myth and briefly indicating the relatively ahistorical elements, the author builds up a framework which opens out the historical content for analysis. This framework is informed by an analysis of the social and religious organization of contemporary society and by historical evidence derived from other oral sources. The main aim is to show how the historical interpretation of myths should not be attempted in isolation, but against the background of much more comprehensive information about the past and the present of the society. Bibliogr., noten Show less
Revised version of a book first published in 1982 in Dutch entitled "Oude produktiewijzen en binnendringend kapitalisme" by the Free University, Amsterdam, in association with the African Studies... Show moreRevised version of a book first published in 1982 in Dutch entitled "Oude produktiewijzen en binnendringend kapitalisme" by the Free University, Amsterdam, in association with the African Studies Centre, Leiden. The modern history of Africa can be seen in Marxist terms as a process by which the capitalist mode of production was established all over the continent, but did not totally replace the old mode of production. An articulation of modes of production took place instead. The essays in this book deal with the theory of articulation as well as the empirical application of this key concept in various geographical areas and historical periods. Show less
This collection of papers on theoretical and methodological perspectives in the study of African religion is the outcome of a conference held at the African Studies Centre, Leiden, in 1979. It... Show moreThis collection of papers on theoretical and methodological perspectives in the study of African religion is the outcome of a conference held at the African Studies Centre, Leiden, in 1979. It reviews the major classic and contemporary theoretical approaches to African religion. The individual papers deal with a variety of specific religions and locate them in their specific cultural, social and political context. These specific topics are used as stepping stones towards a converging theoretical perspective in which the various strands of contemporary religious research can be integrated. Contributors: Renaat Devisch (sub-Saharan Africa), Wauthier de Mahieu (Zaire), Andr‚ Droogers (Africa), Johannes Fabian (sub-Saharan Africa), Matthew Schoffeleers (Malawi), Wim van Binsbergen (Tunisia), John M. Janzen (the Kongo tradition of coastal Equatorial Africa), Richard P. Werbner (Southern Africa), Terence O. Ranger (Zimbabwe), Robert Buijtenhuijs (Kenya), Christian Coulon (Senegal). Show less
Contents: 1. Introduction (is there a case for a Marxist approach in anthropological fieldwork - the structure of our argument). 2. The level of production as a problem in anthropological fieldwork... Show moreContents: 1. Introduction (is there a case for a Marxist approach in anthropological fieldwork - the structure of our argument). 2. The level of production as a problem in anthropological fieldwork (data on production - the concept of 'mode of production' - variations in the 'lineage mode of production' in Black Africa - the 'lineage mode of production' in North Africa - discussion). 3. Production and politics (the danger of functionalist teleology - Meillassoux and the politics of kin-group composition among the Guro (Ivory Coast) - Rey and determinism - class alliance between elders and capitalists: the Maka case (S.E. Cameroon) - the Zambian Nkoya as a contrasting case - analysis in terms of class? - the extended-case method). 4. The ethnography of articulation (the problem - production at a Zambian chief's court - capturing articulation in ethnographic data). 5. Field-work on ideology, belief and ritual (some theoretical problems - religious plurality and articulation of modes of production: the Nkoya case). 6. Concluding remarks. Notes, ref Show less
