The Anthropology of Performance
A Reader
Published on 17. January 2013
304 pages
978-1-118-49309-0 (ISBN)
Description
The Anthropology of Performance is an invaluable guide tothis exciting and growing area. This cutting-edge volume onthe major advancements in performance studies presents thetheories, methods, and practices of performance in cultures aroundthe globe. Leading anthropologists describe the range of humanexpression through performance and explore its role in constructingidentity and community, as well as broader processes such asglobalization and transnationalism.
* Introduces new and advanced students to the task of studyingand interpreting complex social, cultural, and political eventsfrom a performance perspective
* Presents performance as a convergent field of inquiry thatbridges the humanities and social sciences, with a distinctivecross-cultural perspective in anthropology
* Demonstrates the range of human expression and meaning throughperformance in related fields of religious & ritual studies,folkloristics, theatre, language arts, and art & dance
* Explores the role of performance in constructing identity,community, and the broader processes of globalization andtransnationalism
* Includes fascinating global case studies on a diverse range ofphenomena
* Contributions from leading scholars examine verbal genres,ritual and drama, public spectacle, tourism, and the performancesembedded in everyday selves, communities and nations
Reviews / Votes
"This volume is a comprehensive and well-structured compilation of previously published essays, articulating how anthropology has explored diverse instances of performance . . This book will be of great use to graduate students looking to specialize in the field, or faculty members who wish to deepen their understanding of established concepts and perhaps recast their own work." (Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 1 June 2015) "The concept of performance burst onto the stage ofanthropology through a door that the ethnography of speakingopened. Ever since, its meaning expanded, its implicationsdeepened, and its presence in anthropology and folklore enabledinsights in culture and creativity. Frank Korom's selectionrepresents a broad scholarly range, demonstrating its value in theanalysis of historical as well as modern, oral as well as literatecultures, making us realize, all of a sudden, that it isindispensable." - Dan Ben-Amos, University of Pennsylvania "The historical, regional, and ethnographic scope of thisvolume is breath-taking. By approaching their topic through speech,disguise, body expression, or material articulation, contributorsinvite a wide readership across all kinds of fields to engage witha timely topic in new, refreshing and penetrating ways. Frank Koromhas edited a landmark publication that will inspire experts andinterested laypersons for years to come." - Andre Gingrich, Austrian Academy of Sciences "People perform who they are in the world, or who theywould like to be. Humanity bursts forth from these marvelousstudies as far-flung souls sing, argue, and dance theirtruths." - Allen F. Roberts, University of California, LosAngelesMore details
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Person
Frank J. Korom is Professor of Religion and Anthropology at Boston University, where he teaches courses on verbal art, anthropology of religion, and cultures of South Asia. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in India, Sri Lanka, Trinidad, amongst other places. His interests range from ritual and performance studies to visual and material culture. His extensive publications include Hosay Trinidad: Muharram Performances in an Indo-Caribbean Diaspora (2003) and Village of Painters: Narrative Scrolls from West Bengal (2006).
Content
Acknowledgments to Sources vii
The Anthropology of Performance: An Introduction 1
Frank J. Korom
Part I Performance in Prehistory and Antiquity 9
1 Singing the Rug: Patterned Textiles and the Origins ofIndo-European Metrical Poetry 11
Anthony Tuck
2 Performance and Written Literature in Classical Greece:Envisaging Performance from Written Literature and ComparativeContexts 26
Rosalind Thomas
Part II Verbal Genres of Performance 37
3 Playing the Dozens 39
Roger D. Abrahams
4 The La Have Island General Store: Sociability and Verbal Artin a Nova Scotia Community 49
Richard Bauman
5 Proverbs and the Ethnography of Speaking Folklore 61
E. Ojo Arewa and Alan Dundes
6 Gbaya Riddles in Changing Times 73
Philip A. Noss
7 Shadows of Song: Exploring Research and Performance Strategiesin Yolngu Women's Crying-Songs 80
Fiona Magowan
Part III Ritual, Drama, and Public Spectacle 95
8 Prayer as Person: The Performative Force in Navajo Prayer Acts97
Sam D. Gill
9 Performance and the Cultural Construction of Reality 107
Edward L. Schieffelin
10 "He Should Have Worn a Sari": A"Failed" Performance of a Central Indian Oral Epic124
Joyce Burkhalter Flueckiger
11 Representing History: Performing the Columbian Exposition133
Rosemarie K. Bank
12 The Palio of Siena: Performance and Process 150
Alice Pomponio Logan
Part IV Performance and Politics in the Making of Communities165
13 Poetry and Politics in a Transylvanian Village 167
Gail Kligman
14 The Matter of Talk: Political Performances in Bhatgaon174
Donald Brenneis
15 Celebrating Cricket: The Symbolic Construction of CaribbeanPolitics 183
Frank E. Manning
16 Performing the Nation: China's Children as Little RedPioneers 199
T.E. Woronov
Part V Tourist Performances and the Global Ecumene215
17 The Promise of Sonic Translation: Performing the FestiveSacred in Morocco 217
Deborah A. Kapchan
18 Ethnic Tourism in Hokkaido^ and the Shaping of AinuIdentity 234
Lisa Hiwasaki
19 What They Came With: Carnival and the Persistence of AfricanPerformance Aesthetics in the Diaspora 250
Esiaba Irobi
20 Global Breakdancing and the Intercultural Body 260
Halifu Osumare
Further Readings 273
Index 287
