Bibliographic Information

Primitive classification

Emile Durkheim and Marcel Mauss ; translated with an introduction by Rodney Needham

(Routledge revivals)

Routledge, 2010

  • : hbk

Other Title

De quelques formes primitives de classification

Available at  / 8 libraries

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Note

"First published in English in 1963 by Cohen & West Ltd"--T.p. verso

Bibliography: p. 89-93

Includes index

ISBN for Durkheim's 3 v. set, "Selected writings in social theory" on publisher's site: 9780415562874, 0415562872

Description and Table of Contents

Description

In this influential work, first published in English in 1963, Durkheim and Mauss claim that the individual mind is capable of classification and they seek the origin of the 'classificatory function' in society. On the basis of an intensive examination of forms and principles of symbolic classification reported from the Australian aborigines, the Zuni and traditional China, they try to establish a formal correspondence between social and symbolic classification. From this they argue that the mode of classification is determined by the form of society and that the notions of space, time, hierarchy, number, class and other such cognitive categories are products of society. Dr Needham's introduction assesses the validity of Durkhiem and Mauss's argument, traces its continued influence in various disciplines, and indicates its analytical value for future researches in social anthropology.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. The Problem 3. The Australian Type of Classification 4. Other Australian Systems 5. Zuni, Sioux 6. China 7. Conclusions

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