Book

The cultural dynamic of Puerto Rican spiritism: class, nationality, and religion in a Brooklyn ghetto

University Microfilms InternationalAnn Arbor, Mich.Published In 1992 • Pages:

By: Figueroa, José E..

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This is an evaluation of the role that spiritism plays in '…enhancing or diminishing both national self awareness and working class consciousness' (p.iv). The data for this study were obtained primarily through participant observation and interviews with Puerto Rican workers in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (New York). Figueroa demonstrates that religion (here spiritism), plays a far more positive and liberating role than the social theories of Karl Marx predict. Figueroa illustrates his theory with several case studies including the collective actions of a group of tenants against their landlord, in which religion (or spiritism) acted as a motivating factor in bringing about change in the structure of everyday life.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Social personality
Life history materials
Cultural identity and pride
Renting and leasing
Social relationships and groups
General character of religion
Religious denominations
Ethnosociology
Homosexuality
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Puerto Ricans (Mainland)
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2002
RegionThe area the document pertains to
North America
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
Book
Evaluation
Creator TypesThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Ethnologist
Indigenous Person
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
John Beierle ; 1992
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
mid-1970s -- four years (p.27)
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
mid-1970s
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn; New York, N.Y., United States
NotesAdditional notes
[by] José E. Figueroa
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- City University of New York, 1981
UM AAC8203279
Bibliography: p. 251-260
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Puerto Ricans--New York (N.Y.)--Religion