The anthropology of texts, persons and publics
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
The anthropology of texts, persons and publics
（New departures in anthropology）
Cambridge University Press, 2007
- : hbk
- : pbk
- Other Title
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The anthropology of texts, persons and publics : oral and written culture in Africa and beyond
Available at 10 libraries
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Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto Universityアフリカ専攻
paper:388.4||Bar200003197887
Note
Bibliography: p. 241-264
Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
What can texts - both written and oral - tell us about the societies that produce them? How are texts constituted in different cultures, and how do they shape societies and individuals? How can we understand the people who compose them? Drawing on examples from Africa and other countries, this original study sets out to answer these questions, by exploring textuality from a variety of angles. Topics covered include the importance of genre, the ways in which oral genres transcend the here-and-now, and the complex relationship between texts and the material world. Barber considers the ways in which personhood is evoked, both in oral poetry and in written diaries and letters, discusses the audience's role in creating the meaning of texts, and shows textual creativity to be a universal human capacity expressed in myriad forms. Engaging and thought-provoking, this book will be welcomed by anyone interested in anthropology, literature and cultural studies.
Table of Contents
- 1. Anthropology and text
- 2. Genre, society and history
- 3. The constitution of oral texts
- 4. Text and personhood
- 5. Audiences and publics
- 6. The private
- 7. Textual fields and popular creativity.
by "Nielsen BookData"