Book
The Mende of Sierra Leone
Routledge and Kegan Paul • London • Published In 1951 • Pages: 307
By: Little, Kenneth Lindsay.
Abstract
This document is a functional treatment of the culture and social organization of the Mende people by a British social anthropologist. The interrelations of the kinship system, the organization of farming, the social cycle, marriage and friendship, the position of women, the role and function of the chief, religion and medicine, and the relation of the Mende with the Native Authority of the British, are all carefully drawn. The role of the secret societies, and in particular the Poro society, as the chief integrating force in native culture, is thoroughly explored. The appendices spell out the role of Islam in Mende life; the organization of the fish industry and its relation to the domestic trade economy; and the manufacture of the characteristic 'country cloths' of the society. Material relating to the British rule over the Mende has been treated from the Mende point of view, although several cross-reference slips will direct the researcher to information on the British role in Mende history.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2010
- Region
- Africa
- Sub Region
- Western Africa
- Document Type
- Book
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Social Anthropologist
- Document Rating
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Leslie L. Clark ; 1958
- Field Date
- 1945-1946
- Coverage Date
- 1890-1950
- Coverage Place
- Sierra Leone
- Notes
- by K. L. Little
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 292-295)
- LCCN
- 52002296
- LCSH
- Mende (African people)