Book
Culture and power: legend, ritual, bazaar, and rebellion in a Bengali society
Sage Publications • New Delhi • Published In 1984 • Pages:
By: Östör, Ákos.
Abstract
This book is a study of legend (ITIHASA), theater (JATRA), ritual or festival (PUJA), and rebellion (ANDOLAN) as these structures exist in the town of Vishnupur, an administrative center located in the western area of West Bengal, India. This work is divided into five chapters, the first of which deals with the concept of ITIHASA or legend, which serves as an introduction to the indigenous, cultural and comparative construction of Bengali society both as it exists in reality and as means of procedure and method. From ITIHASA the discussion turns to JATI or caste, PUJA, JATRA and PURANA (sacred texts), structural systems which are interpreted by the author in the context of everyday life (p. 14). Chapter 2 presents a further discussion of PUJA, PURANA, and JATRA as they relate to practices relevant to the Snake Goddess. The living reality and domain of bazaar relationships are described in great detail in chapter 3, along with an analysis of the structure of the bazaar in an attempt to understand the cultural forms relating the two. In chapter 4, Östör approaches the problems of cultural change, transformation, and revolution through cultural categories. This involves a lengthy analysis of the concept of ANDOLAN (rebellion) as an indigenous theory of change. The study concludes with a largely theoretical chapter (chapter 5) relating the author's evaluation of his data to other kinds of 'anthropologies'.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2002
- Region
- Asia
- Sub Region
- South Asia
- Document Type
- Book
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- John Beierle ; 1992
- Field Date
- 1967-1969, 1971, 1973 [p. 9]
- Coverage Date
- 1967-1973
- Coverage Place
- Vishnupur, West Bengal, India
- Notes
- Ákos Östör
- Includes index. Bibliography: p. [215]-219
- LCSH
- Bengalis