Questions March 25, 2010

 

Questions for Discussion March 25, 2010

 

Evans-Pritchard, “On the Problems of Symbols”

 

  1.  Critiques Levy-Bruhl (and others) about their conceptions of “primitive” thought
    1. “I am a red parakeet”

 

  1.  Looks at symbols as predicates (a quality or attribute of something), not for the content of the symbols; about relationships

 

  1. What do the Nuer mean by saying “Rain is Spirit/God”?

 

  1. What do the Nuer mean by saying “Twins are birds”?

 

  1. What about “Crocodile is spirit”? How is this linked to the idea of totems

 

 

Sherry Ortner, “On Key Symbols”

 

  1.  What is a key symbol? 

 

  1. How have anthropologists studied them? (2 methods)

 

  1. The “ideal types” of key symbols:
    1. Summarizing: what do they do? Examples?

 

    1. Elaborating: what do they do? Examples?
      1. Root Metaphors
      2. Key Scenarios

 

  1. Are these categories mutually exclusive?

 

  1. What do key symbols do?

 

Eric Wolf, “Virgin of Guadeloupe ”

 

  1.  What is a master symbol? 

 

  1. What is the background of the Virgin of G?

 

  1. How does Wolf want to analyze this symbol?

 

  1. How is the Virgin linked to family? (2 types)

 

  1. How does the Virgin embody Mexican political and religious aspirations?   For Indians? For people of Indian and Spanish descent?

 

  1. What is the link to Mexican independence?

 

  1. How is this a single “master symbol?”?

 

 

Mary Douglas, “Land Animals, Pure and Impure”

 

  1.  Review Douglas earlier work
    1. Purity and Danger
    2. Dirt is “matter out of place”
      1. Social relationships are the underlying foundations of symbolic systems  

 

  1. How does she link these ideas to ritual purity and sacrifice in this article?

 

  1. What are the reasons that contracting impurity must be avoided?

 

  1. How is this linked to the covenant with God?

 

  1. Do you see ideas of Durkheim reflected here?