The Lunda-Ndembu: Style, Change, and Social Transformation in South Central AfricaBridging history and anthropology, this richly documented account of the Lunda-Ndembu people of northwestern Zambia has at its center the paradox of continuity and change. To legitimate and justify innovations to their cultural identity and practice, the Lunda-Ndembu propose that such innovations have conceptual similarities to long-standing traditions. While framing the discussion around classic anthropological oppositions--the individual versus the group, old versus young, females versus males, rich versus poor, us versus them, people versus the natural environment, the physical world vs. the metaphysical world--James A. Pritchett also offers a work of historical imagination. It is at the shifting boundaries of these relationships, he argues, that change is actually confronted on a daily basis, spoken about, and negotiated into conformity with widespread and enduring traditions. Juxtaposing Victor Turner's ethnographic data on the Ndembu from the 1950s with his own fieldwork in the 1980s and 1990s, Pritchett demonstrates that, by restudying areas already well known, it is possible to generate richly nuanced answers about social change that more accurately reflect local sensibilities. |
Contents
Introduction | 5 |
Histories and Homilies | 19 |
People and the Environment | 43 |
The Individual and the Group | 82 |
The Old and the Young | 123 |
Females and Males169 | 169 |
The Rich and the Poor | 205 |
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Common terms and phrases
activities African assist authority became become believed British capital caravan cash cassava Central Africa century chiefs claim collective colonial construction continue cultural diviners early economic equality established ethnic European example existence females forces hand headman hierarchy identity important individual initiate Kanongesha Kazembe labor land less living Lunda Lunda-Ndembu major male matrilineal meaning mission move movement Mwinilunga nature noted notions one's organization particular perhaps period person physical political position possess present production relations relationship relative remain reside respect responsible ritual season senior sense separate serve shared social society spirit structure succession symbolic things tion titles trade traditional Turner village wealth widely women young Zambia