essay
On the meaning of sakti to women in Tamil Nadu
powers of tamil women • (6) • Published In 1991 • Pages: 1-34
By: Egnor, Margaret Trawick.
Abstract
This is a study of the concept of sakti, loosely defined as 'action' and 'power', with special reference to its meaning for Tamil women in the society. In the first section of this paper Egnor asserts that the meaning of [n]sakti[/n] was to be found not in a study of ideas alone, nor in a study of action alone, nor in a study of discrepancies between these two, but in a study of the union of action and ideas, since it is in this union that meaning is constructed (p. 25). As examples of this union five life histories are presented to illustrate how action is taken on the basis of ideas, and how ideas take shape through action. The second section of the paper attempts to explicate some aspects of these life histories in terms of relation between the concept of sakti and other concepts important in South Indian culture. The last section focuses more directly on the meaning of action. and attempts to answer such questions as: if sakti is action, what form does this action take, and if sakti is the power to do, what is it that it does?
- HRAF PubDate
- 2009
- Region
- Asia
- Sub Region
- South Asia
- Document Type
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- John Beierle; 2007
- Field Date
- no date
- Coverage Date
- not specified
- Coverage Place
- Tamil Nadu, India
- Notes
- Margaret Egnor
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 33-34)
- LCCN
- 91035987
- LCSH
- Tamil (Indic people)