Symbolic Anthropology Research Articles

Antropologi Tasawuf dalam Tarekat Qadiriyah Naqsyabandiyah di Madura

<p class="06IsiAbstrak">Madurese people who are synonymous with hard character and tend to be rude, are also known to be very religious so not a few are active in a tariqa, among which the popular one is Tarekat Qadiriyah Naqsyabandiyah (TQN). This article aims to examine the meaning of anthropological symbols in the practices and meanings of Madurese people towards the teachings of TQN, as well as how its implications in the personality and life of the Madurese. The methodology used is descriptive qualitative using Clifford Geertz's symbolic anthropology theory. This article concludes that symbolically anthropological TQN has a religious symbol system manifested in hybrid dhikr, <em>zikr jahr</em> (vocalised) and <em>zikr khafiy</em> (hidden). It also shows the existence of Madurese as spiritual subjects who know actively. The implications of dhikr in the lives of TQN pilgrims can be empirical, mystical and meta-empirical. Therefore, it is not uncommon for them to have magical experiences due to the energy of the practised zikr.</p>

THE RITUAL OF WELCOMING TEVADA CHNAM THMAY: SIGNIFYING THE CIRCULATION OF GODS AND THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW YEAR TIME CYCLE OF THE KHMER PEOPLE IN SOC TRANG PROVINCE, VIETNAM

The ritual of welcoming Tevada Chhnam Thmay is a meaningful and indispensable event in the Khmer New Year. This ritual denotes the time of a year’s transition and welcomes the new Tevada. The research adopted the theory of symbolic anthropology proposed by Victor Turner to explain the meaning of ritual symbols and considers ritual symbols as a mechanism for maintaining traditional society. By employing the participant observation and sociological interview method conducted in Soc Trang Province, the study contributes to clarifying the appearance as well as the role and meaning of the Tevada Chhnam Thmay in the spiritual life of the Khmer people in Southern Vietnam.

Objects as Expression of Power, Religion and Therapy: The “Country” Pots in the Bamenda Grassfields Fondoms of Cameroon

In most parts of the world especially in Africa, people can be identified and distinguished through objects. These objects which some are worn on the body or carried along are decorated with symbols which could be decoded by those who comprehend their cultural connotations. The object this article focuses on is the indigenous or ‘country’ pots of the Bamenda Grassfields, pots which were used in the past by women in the kitchen, by traditional medical doctors and by traditional leaders; notables and heads of secret societies. Today, these country pots are not very visible in the kitchen as it was the case before because of the introduction of other containers. The questions raised by this paper are: What is the place of the country pot in the lives of the Bamenda Grassfields people? What is the symbolism of the motifs represented on the Bamenda Grassfields country pots? What are the change currently taking place in the production and use of these pots? The objectives of the article are to examine the roles and find out the meanings of the motifs represented on pots. It also explores the changes which are taking place in the production, commercialisation and use of the country pots. Data for this article was collected using the qualitative method and this data was analysed using content analysis and interpreted soon after collection was over. The interpretation was done with the theories of cultural ecology of Steward, functionalism of Radcliff-Brown and Malinowski, symbolic anthropology of Geertz and cultural evolution of Tylor and Morgan. Findings reveal that the country pots are an aspect of material culture of the Bamenda Grassfields. They are of very great cultural value and play a fundamental role in these cultures; they are an expression of power, religion, healing as well as communion. The country pots like any other cultural element, if they are valorised, they will continue to identify the people from generation to generation.

Man and land: The marriage between a man, a woman and land among the Beti of Cameroon

Marriage is a sacred union between two families brought together by a man and a woman. All societies have a way of regulating marriage and when a man gets married in a family he is referred to as an in-law. Therefore in-law is a relationship which is established through marriage. To the Beti of Cameroon in particular to be considered as an in-law, a man has certain responsibilities to fulfil among which are the provision of an envelope and food to the family of the woman he wants to marry. Once these are done, he becomes an in-law. The purchase of land among most in not all cultures is very important but the peculiarity among the Beti is that when a man buys land in a Beti locality, he is regarded and treated as an in-law. This article seeks to answer one major question: what is the relationship between a woman and land among the Beti of Cameroon? To establish a relationship between these two (a woman and land), the objectives of this article are to; understand how the Beti people perceive a woman and land; the importance they attach to them and their symbolism. Data for this paper was collected using the qualitative method and the analysis and interpretations are based on the theories of symbolic anthropology of Geertz and functionalism of Malinowski and Brown. Major findings reveal that a woman like land serve as riches, means of production, an element which unites families and many more.

Drinking Indigenous Beverages in Africa: The Case of the /Bili-bili/ of the Lele People of North Cameroon

Every human society produces beverages but the raw materials and procedures of production may differ from one society to the next. Some societies especially in Africa use maize, others use millet while others use guinea corn for their production. There are certain beliefs surrounding the manufacture and use of each beverage. The /bili-bili/ of the Lele people of north Cameroon is a good example of local beer produced from millet, red millet and sorghum. This local liquor is produced mostly by the female folk and its production goes through a number of processes. The drink like any aspect of culture fulfils a specific function in the Lele community. It used to be manufactured from millet, red millet and sorghum alone but with time, there are women who produce it with red millet and maize. The main research question of the article is: what are the functions of the /bili-bili/ to the Lele man in particular and the community in general? The secondary research questions are: what is the cultural significances of the /bili-bili/ to the Lele people? and what are the factors that have caused changes in the production consumption of this indigenous liquor? The objectives of this article is to examine the place of bili-bili in the lives of the people and in the society as a whole. The paper also seeks to find out the symbolism of this drink and the reasons behind the changes in the production and utility of the bili-bili. The authors of this paper used the qualitative method to collect data. This data was analyse soon after collection was over and interpreted using the theories of cultural ecology (to demonstrate how millet and sorghum, all natural products are employed to produce a cultural drink, bili-bili), functionalism (employed to show the roles of the locally brewed drink in the lives of the Lele people and the Lele community) and symbolic anthropology (used to illustrate the cultural significance of the bili-bili to the Lele people. Bili-bili symbolises a bond as many youths like adults meet and share from a single calabash or bucket. This drink is not only a source of livelihood to many households, it portrays the belief system of the Lele people in particular and that of the northerners in general. The indigenous drink /bili-bili/ is a drink which portrays the cultural identity of the people. If valorised, it will continue to be a major source of livelihood to many families.

Death as a thread of Cultural and Religious Identity

This article approaches death from an anthropological perspective, exploring its historical evolution and its influence on diverse cultures and societies. It begins by examining how anthropology has contributed to our understanding of death, from its roots in the supernatural to contemporary approaches. Three pivotal periods in anthropological death research are identified: the twentieth-century evolutionary, the heyday of symbolic anthropology, and the current interdisciplinary era. The analysis focuses on the impact of European colonization in the New World and how anthropology emerged as a tool for documenting and understanding cultural and religious changes among indigenous populations who encountered the colonizers. In addition, it explores funerary beliefs and practices in diverse cultures, from the Incas in Argentina to contemporary native cultures in the same country. It highlights rituals and conceptions of death in different religions, including Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam and others. The article underscores the importance of appreciating the cultural diversity surrounding death in a globalized world. Despite superficial differences, death remains a universal theme that raises fundamental questions about life and transcendence. Understanding how different cultures confront and give meaning to death is essential to promote cross-cultural empathy and respect in today's society.

An Expression of Power, Unity and Faith Through Dance: The /Abine-mfor/ Fon’s Dance of the Bafut People in the Bamenda Grassfields of Cameroon

An Annual festival is a cultural event which is celebrated by most if not all Western Grassfields Fondoms. In Bafut, this annual festival is referred to as ‘abine-mfor’ (fon’s dance) or ‘flutes’ dance’. This occasion was instituted by the very first fon of the Bafut Fondom to commemorate the ancestors and spirits through sacrifices and dancing. The majority of Bafut people admire and celebrate the Abine-mfor with passion but very few understand the raison d’être of the dance. The question is what is the cultural significance of the fon’s dance in the life of the Bafut fondom? This paper examines the symbolism of Abine-mfor and the functions of the ceremony in the life of the fondom. Collecting data for this paper, we used the qualitative method. This method was employed through techniques such as participant observation, in-depth interview, informal discussions, literature review and photography. The data was interpreted using theories of symbolic anthropology of Geertz, and functionalism of Malinowski and Brown. Major findings reveal that in the Annual dance, the villagers perform traditional dances, sacrifices to honour their ancestors and spirits. This ceremony therefore reflects the belief system, social and political form of organisation of the Bafut Fondom. Cultural manifestations such as Abine-mfor and others should be documented (Historical Particularism of Boas) so that Bafut and non-Bafut people should understand its importance to the cultural heritage of Bafut in particular and that of Cameroon in general.

중세 유럽 문장(紋章)의 디자인, 구성, 상징

This study analyzes the principles of composition and symbolic meanings of university heraldry and guild heraldry in medieval Europe based on the concept of Thick Discription of Clifford Geertz, a champion of symbolic anthropology. Thick Discription is one of methodologies of cultural studies that helps to demonstrate cultural symbols and signs in the context used. It enables to elucidate complex conceptual structures, many of them superimposed on or knotted into one another, which are strange, inconstant and concealed. We will infer how medieval heraldry as a symbolic sign influences modern visual culture, especially symbol marks because modern university symbols and corporate logos have been rooted in medieval university heraldry and guild heraldry respectively. This paper provides useful academic materials that visual designers and design researchers can refer to.

La fiesta del caldo en San Andrés Zautla: los procesos de simbolización en la recreación de una tradición

This text intends to reflect on the importance of the festival, within the framework of the religious cult of indigenous communities, as a context of social interaction and ritual processes, where various symbolization processes that nourish and convey the transmission of traditions are articulated. This leads us to consider the religious festival as a scenario of hegemonic dispute, as its regulated organization, as well as a vehicle of counter-hegemonic confrontation, from the experience of the sacred. We carry out a brief conceptual review to address what has been called "popular religion" or, from Mesoamerican studies, "Mesoamerican religious tradition" (L. Austin). We outline the categories of analysis with which we complement a hermeneutic model for the study of festivals and rituals from the studies of the imaginary (G. Durand; B. Solares) and the symbolic anthropology of Lluís Duch. We apply our model to the case study of the Fiesta del Caldo in Honor of the Dulce Nombre de Jesús, in San Andrés Zautla, Oaxaca, focusing on two problems: the form of organization of the fiesta through a brotherhood and the forms of participation in the party crossed by gender.

THE BUILDING OF SAND MOUNTAIN CEREMONY: SYMBOL OF RELIGIOUS CULTURE AT THE KHMER NEW YEAR IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM

Cultural symbols are research objects that many scholars are interested in when studying cultures. The article is based on the structural theory of symbolic anthropology (or interpretive anthropology) to study and decipher the meaning of sand mountains in Khmer culture. The building of sand mountains duringceremonies on New Year’s Day is an important cultural and spiritual activity that illustrates religious harmony with cultural life during traditional festivals. In the article, the symbolic meaning of the sand mountain is deciphered to explore the cultural values and religious philosophies hidden in the heart of Khmer culture in Southern Viet Nam.

Chestvovanie inklyuzivnosti: organizatsiya i ritual sporta massovogo uchastiya

We describe the best organizational practices, ceremonies, and rituals of mass participation sports events. In addition to participant observation of endurance races in distance running, triathlon, cycling, swimming, and cross-country skiing between 2003 and 2019, statistical and document analysis was used as the research methodology. Special focus was placed on triathlon in Europe. We argue that the phenomenon of mass participation sports is a consequence of the Expressive model of sports (EMS) as a social construct shared by the community. We explain how the EMS is implemented in the organization of events through rituals, conventions, and institutions. Firstly, within the EMS, the race finish is recognized as an achievement by the organizers and the participant’s community. Secondly, the EMS focuses on ordinary, non-elite amateurs as main event participants. This means an open entry to participation, with no selection by skill level; permissive time limits; equal distances, entry fees, and service levels for both elite and non-elite athletes; a joint festival and event venue; competition schedule comfortable for amateurs (non-elite races on the weekend). Thirdly, the EMS revises the linear ranking of competitions through a new hierarchy model, an age-weighted presentation of results, and an inclusive celebration ritual. This includes the grouping of athletes into ordinary amateurs with no reward and elite/professionals, who compete for absolute an ranking and/or prizes, a broad division of amateurs by age groups (95–99, 90–94, 85–89 and down to 20–24, 15–19) and the celebration of the oldest athletes and last finishers. The theoretical framework combines the insights from the civilization process, evolutionary and symbolic anthropology. Since endurance races are seen as rites of passage and liminal processes, we emphasize the importance of rituals as a means of a reconciliation of communitas.

Integrated promotion model of the European culture in the global world: a socio-philosophical analysis

The article analyzes the problem of the integrated model of the promotion of European culture. The paper shows that the crisis trends in the development of culture are a natural process, which is a necessary stage of the movement of culture to progressive development in the given ontological foundations of the culture system. At the same time, crises are divided into structural and systemic. The latter, according to the author, is a socio-cultural transformation. The author analyzes the concepts of “culture” and characterizes the features of the technogenic civilization of the West. In the context of civilization, culture is subject to technogenic influences, which is concretized when considering the transition from modern to postmodern, when art and cultural values are transformed into industrial production. The concepts of late capitalism and globalization are related. They characterize the interaction processes between postmodern and traditional cultures, which leads to their destruction and unification. The symbolic aspects of culture in Kant’s theory of knowledge are considered, and the general principles of understanding the symbolism of culture are formulated. The features of understanding the relationship between culture, symbol, and person are shown. The directions of understanding the symbolism of European culture are revealed. The author analyzed the peculiarities of understanding the symbolism of culture in the framework of symbolic anthropology.

Introduction

Plastic bags ride the currents of the Pacific Ocean and collect in the Mariana Trench; stockpiles of nuclear waste are pumped deep into Earth’s outer crust; smoke and smog (a fusion of particulate matter and ozone) settle in above sprawling urban colonies, slowly killing their denizens; spent oxygen canisters join “forever chemicals” on the snows of Everest; and billions of pieces of space debris endlessly fall in Low Earth Orbit, just beyond a thin and rapidly changing breathable atmosphere. So goes the narrative of the Anthropocene, a purportedly new geological epoch demarcated by the planetary effects of human activity.The symbolic anthropologist Mary Douglas (1966) understood pollution as “matter out of place,” a kind of disorder that necessarily prompts efforts to “organize” the environment. Anthropologists, geographers, and other social scientists have since pushed the conversation forward by inquiring into the materiality of pollution, the toxicity that manifests in situated encounters between bodies and environments, and the co-production of pollution/toxicity— two sides of the same coin, one overflowing boundaries and the other seeping in—through those extended networks of physicochemical, organic, and sociocultural life that constitute local and global political ecologies.This issue of Environment and Society explores current thinking about pollution and toxicity at the intersection of political ecology, symbolic anthropology, and science and technology studies. The articles address a broad range of scholarly perspectives, theoretical alliances, and methodological and epistemological approaches. They collectively contribute to historical and contemporary framings of pollution and toxicity and to new understandings of their discursive and material co-production, and they outline the stakes of such an analysis for diverse communities of human and nonhuman beings. Authors in this issue address entangled themes such as the materiality of pollution/toxicity, how it is smelled, tasted, felt, experienced, embodied, or symbolized, both in moments of crisis and in daily life. Articles also home in on how and by whom the impacts—material, sociocultural, political, ethical, etc.—of pollution/toxicity are measured or otherwise accounted for technoscientifically, socioculturally, and historically. These accountings mediate governance mechanisms through policies, infrastructures, and ordinary acts of care and containment (sweeping, cleaning, planting, repairing). Finally, authors consider how pollution/toxicity reshapes sociopolitical life.

History and Symbolic Anthropology: A Review and Critique of Four New Contributions to their Rapprochement

This paper examines the most recent attempt to incorporate an historical approach within anthropology. Following a well established disciplinary tradition, symbolic anthropology is only now, relatively late in its career, beginning to address historical problems and methods. This paper considers the efforts of Geertz, Wallace, Turner and Sahlins to give symbolic anthropology an historiographic competence and application. It is argued that three of them (Geertz, Wallace and Turner) fail in different ways to devise a notion of structure capable of successfully treating the facts of change and innovation. It is also argued that Sahlins enjoys greater success in this effort, but that his work must be supplemented with a concept of historical process. One such concept is proposed.

Pożegnanie nomady. Antropologiczne pomyślenia Wojciecha Burszty (1957–2021)

The author limns an intellectual portrait of the cultural specialist and anthopologist Wojciech Józef Burszta (1957–2021), who died at the beginning of 2021. Burszta’s reflections centered on the “post-anthropological” shape of contemporaneity. Such thinking involved, on the one hand, relinquishing the idea of culture as a cohesive, harmonious system (ideas close to the symbolic anthropology of Clifford Geertz), and on the other, the increasing awareness of “being in culture,” of the possession and appropriation of culture by the community, individuals, and institutions (Burszta described these processes as “metaculture”). In addition to popular culture and pop nationalism, another important area of interest for Burszta was literature—an essentially anti-systemic reverse of anthropological reflections on reality.

Crack a Book: An Ethnographic Account of Dreams’ Interpretation in Pakistan

Reams have always been an important area of concern for scientists both in natural as well as in social sciences. From theological to scientific stages of human rationale, dreams remained a widely discussed topic. The current research work was interested to have an ethnographic account of dreams and their interpretation under the umbrella of symbolic anthropology in one of the traditional villages in the capital city of Islamabad, Pakistan. This was a qualitative study which utilized certain qualitative research tools such as transit walk, rapport establishment, participant observation, IDIs, key informants, case studies, field notes, and visual aid. Forty-seven respondents selected on the basis of snowball sampling were interviewed for getting the data. One of the main objectives of the study was to seek the insiders’ view about the importance of dreams and their interpretation in the locale. The study found that dreams are having extraordinary importance in the lives of natives and so on they seek to have their interpretation. It was further observed that the two mainstream practices (cultural and religious) of dream interpretation were followed by the respondents. The study concluded that dreams were considered to be the source of guidance from supernatural powers by the natives. The study recommends having an ethnological approach towards the study of dreams and their interpretations across the diverse societies

A Humanities-Based Explanation for the Effects of Emotional Eating and Perceived Stress on Food Choice Motives during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Perceived stress affects emotional eating and food choices. However, the extent to which stress associates with food choice motives is not completely understood. This study assessed whether emotional eating mediates the associations between perceived stress levels and food choice motives (i.e., health, mood, convenience, natural content, price, sensory appeal, familiarities, weight control, and ethical concerns) during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic. A total of 800 respondents were surveyed in the United States in June 2020. Their perceived stress, emotional eating, and food choice motives were assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale, Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and Food Choice Questionnaire, respectively. Moderate to high levels of perceived stress were experienced by the majority (73.6%) of respondents. Perceived stress was significantly correlated with emotional eating (r = 0.26) as well as five out of nine food choice motives: mood (r = 0.32), convenience (r = 0.28), natural content (r = −0.14), price (r = 0.27), and familiarity (r = 0.15). Emotional eating was significantly correlated with four out of nine food choice motives: mood (r = 0.27), convenience (r = 0.23), price (r = 0.16), and familiarity (r = 0.16). The mediation analyses showed that emotional eating mediates the associations between perceived stress and five food choices motives: mood, convenience, sensory appeal, price, and familiarity. Findings were interpreted using theories and concepts from the humanities, specifically, folklore studies, ritual studies, and symbolic anthropology.

Niedyskursywna pamięć traumatyczna a tożsamość zbiorowa. Romowie wobec doświadczenia zagłady

Przedmiotem artykułu jest romska pamięć niedyskursywna, czyli niewyrażana w mowie czy w piśmie obecność przeszłości w praktykach, relacjach, strukturach społecznych i hierarchiach kulturowych. Ta forma pamięci odgrywa szczególnie istotną rolę w wypadku Romów, a więc sieci zbiorowości, które w przeszłości miały utrudniony dostęp do środków wytwarzania pamięci zbiorowej. Autor nawiązuje do teorii systemów i antropologii symbolicznej Mary Douglas, by pokazać, w jaki sposób lęki spowodowane przez traumatyczne wydarzenia historyczne, związane z naruszeniem zewnętrznej granicy społeczności romskiej, są w niedyskursywny sposób kodowane w jej strukturze społecznej i kulturze. W konsekwencji autor stawia tezę, że niemożność kontroli granicy zewnętrznej (na przykład skutecznej obrony przed prześladowaniami) prowadzi do kompensacyjnej kontroli granic wewnątrzgrupowych (na przykład wzmocnienia patriarchalnej relacji między kobietami a mężczyznami). Tezę tę potwierdza odmienny status kobiet w skądinąd kulturowo podobnych grupach polskich Romów Karpackich i Romów słowackich, który badacz wyjaśnia odmiennymi dla obu grup doświadczeniami II wojny światowej i związanymi z tym różnymi formami pamięci niedyskursywnej.

Tahuri: Symbol of the Christian-Muslim Community Peace in Tehoru and Telutih, Central Maluku, Indonesia

This study departs from the social conflict in Maluku in 1999. The conflict separated the Christian and Muslim communities in Tehoru and Telutih Districts, Central Maluku, Indonesia. Then, the Regional Government of Central Maluku Regency reconciled by returning the Christian community to both Districts. However, the Christian community still felt anxious and insecure because peace is only carried out by the Government Agency. Both communities created Tahuri symbol as a peace symbol between them. In 2014, they made Tahuri monument, and it was inaugurated on December 7, 2016. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to find the meaning of Tahuri symbol as peace of Christian and Muslim communities in Tehoru and Telutih Districts. The focus of this study the peace symbol created by both communities of Tehoru and Telutih. This study employs Symbolic Anthropology to find the meaning of symbols accepted by humans through relations with others and their natural world. Data gathered through observation and interviews in both districts and presented using a descriptive analysis model. The result shows that Tahuri symbol has two important principles: the inclusive principle and mutual trust principle. Besides, for the Christian and Muslim communities, the Tahuri symbol means collective identity and social cohesion. Both communities contextualized these two principles and meanings in their social and religious life so that social and religious dynamics cannot reduce them. They live in harmony. The peace through the Tahuri symbol is maintained to this day.

“SKALA” SEBAGAI ATRIBUSI KULTURAL: KONTRIBUSI ANTROPOLOGI DALAM EKOLOGI POLITIK

The environment is a place where people live while providing various possibilities to meet their needs. Humans are connected to nature through culture by a system of symbols, meanings, and values. The problematic relation between humans and the environment currently known as “hybrid complexity” involves another analytical tradition such as political economy, symbolic anthropology, and historical anthropology. Political ecology as a study with a transdisciplinary perspective try to gain an explanation about the relationship between humans and the environment not in a static and harmonious fabricate, but in chaotic (noisy and complicated) interconnections. The basic assumption of the study of political ecology is the issue of inequality: the existence of asymmetric forces that produce socio-economic inequality, and these problems are present in the relation between human life and the environment. Humans relate to the environment through a diverse network of interests at various levels and multi-capacities. The scale is one of the important concepts that deserve scrutiny in order to understand the workings of the political ecology approach. The scale is the “heuristic terminology” of culture. Humans are the main element of the scale that connects culture to its reality and as a feature of culture itself. Thus, the scale can be understood as a cultural attribution of the unit of explanation which includes the size, level, and relations of events and actions that mediate human relations and the environment of natural phenomena and socio-cultural phenomena. Keywords:Scale, Cultural Attribution, Anthropology, and Political Ecology.