Fear and ConventionalityWidely admired by the cultural critics and the avant garde in the 1910s, Fear and Conventionality broke new ground for American anthropology. Elsie Clews Parsons—an anthropologist, cultural critic, feminist, and author—turns a cool and ironic eye on the mores and customs of her own upper-class New York society. Influenced by Ruth Benedict and Franz Boas, William James and Havelock Ellis, Parsons's work is informed by a modernist and feminist approach to cultural anthropology and social psychology. Parsons draws on a wide range of cultural texts as well as her own experiences of daily life to argue that the fear of change prompted many social conventions, such as gift-giving, hospitality, and sexual taboos, and to make predictions about American society today, such as the plight to end intolerance. A modern mind at the turn of the century, Parsons challenged social conventions at a time when it was less than popular to do so. Witty, graceful, and impassioned, this book will be of interest to social and cultural historians and anyone interested in early twentieth-century America. Elsie Clews Parsons (1874-1941) is the author of many books, including The Family, The Old-Fashioned Woman, Pueblo Indian Religion, and Mitla. Available from the University of Chicago Press is Elsie Clews Parsons: Constructing Sex and Culture in Modernist America, a biography by Desley Deacon. |
Contents
ON NOT TAKING TO STRANGERS | 1 |
TRAVELLERS | 8 |
HOSPITALITY THE GUEST | 19 |
HOSPITALITY THE HOST | 34 |
INTRODUCTIONS AND DISINFECTANT RITES | 44 |
CASTE | 55 |
A POSTSCRIPT ON CHIVALRY | 72 |
ACQUAINTANCES | 78 |
ENTERTAINING | 107 |
BETWEEN THE SEXES | 119 |
MARRIAGE | 136 |
IN THE FAMILY | 155 |
AGECLASSES | 176 |
CONCERNING GHOSTS AND GODS | 197 |
AN UNCONVENTIONAL SOCIETY | 205 |
REFERENCES | 219 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abipones acquaintance age-class Ainu American Andamanese asked barriers Blackfellow boys BURCKHARDT cards caste ceremonial child Complete Hostess conjugal conversation CRAWLEY customs dancing dinner drink elders Elsie Clews Elsie Clews Parsons entertaining ethnology etiquette Exogamy expected expression Fear and Conventionality feel Fiji Fijian Franz Boas FRAZER friends FURNIVALL G. P. Putnam's Sons gentleman Gerontocracy ghosts girl gods GOULDSBURY and SHEANE gregariousness guest H. L. Mencken habits hospitality host husband Igorot Indian introduce Islands Journal Anthropological Institute King lady less living London Lord Chesterfield Lt Kt magic Manners and Social marriage married Melanesians mother native never once Parsons's polygyny presents primitive savage sect SELIGMANN society sometimes stranger taboo talk tion tribe Uganda Uripiv Veddas visiting wear WESTERMARCK wife WILSON and FELKIN wives woman women York young youth