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Gender, ritual and social formation in West Papua: a configurational analysis comparing Kamoro and Asmat
[monograph]
Abstract This study, based on a lifelong involvement with New Guinea, compares the culture of the Kamoro (18,000 people) with that of their eastern neighbours, the Asmat (40,000), both living on the south coast of West Papua, Indonesia. The comparison, showing substantial differences as well as striking simi... view more
This study, based on a lifelong involvement with New Guinea, compares the culture of the Kamoro (18,000 people) with that of their eastern neighbours, the Asmat (40,000), both living on the south coast of West Papua, Indonesia. The comparison, showing substantial differences as well as striking similarities, contributes to a deeper understanding of both cultures. Part I looks at Kamoro society and culture through the window of its ritual cycle, framed by gender. Part II widens the view, offering in a comparative fashion a more detailed analysis of the socio-political and cosmo-mythological setting of the Kamoro and the Asmat rituals. Next is a systematic comparison of the rituals. The comparison includes a cross-cultural, structural analysis of relevant myths. This publication is of interest to scholars and students in Oceanic studies and those drawn to the comparative study of cultures. The author (1924) started his career as a government anthropologist in West New Guinea in the 1950s and 1960s, with periods of intensive fieldwork, in particular among the Kamoro. A distinguished anthropologist, he held professorships at universities around the world.... view less
Keywords
Indonesia; ethnic group; ritual; myth; social structure; gender role; cultural anthropology
Classification
Women's Studies, Feminist Studies, Gender Studies
Ethnology, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnosociology
Free Keywords
West Papua
Document language
English
Publication Year
2010
Publisher
KITLV Press
City
Leiden
Page/Pages
XII, 300 p.
Series
Verhandelingen van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, 258
ISBN
978-90-6718-325-3
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed
Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works