Discourse and the construction of society : comparative studies of myth, ritual, and classification
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Discourse and the construction of society : comparative studies of myth, ritual, and classification
Oxford University Press, 1992, c1989
- : pbk
Related Bibliography 2 items
Available at 14 libraries
Note
Chapters originally written in Italian and English 1980-1984
Bibliography: p. 205-217
Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
In this bold theoretical work, Bruce Lincoln explores the ways in which myth, ritual, and classification hold human societies together--and how, in times of crisis, they can be used to take a society apart and reconstruct it. Without overlooking the role of coercive force in the maintenance (or overthrow) of social structures, Lincoln argues his thesis with compelling illustrations drawn from such diverse areas as Platonic philosophy, the Upanishads of India, ancient Celtic banquets, professional wrestling, and the Spanish Civil War. This wide-ranging interdisciplinary study--which draws on works in history, semiotics, anthropology, sociology, classics, and indology--offers challenging new insights into the complex dynamics of social cohesion and change.
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