article

Powdermaker's Lesu

Journal of anthropological research47 • Published In 1991 • Pages: 377-387

By: Rosman, Abraham, Rubel, Paula G..

Abstract
This article looks back at Hortense Powerdermaker's study of Lesu villagers in 1929-1930 from the perspective of anthropology in 1980s. It shows that Powerdermaker's study was done while she was carrying out during the highdays of functionalism and as such reflects the strengths and weaknesses of this approach. She treated Lesu society as though it was a bounded community unrelated to a wider context. The article uses Powdermaker's own ethnographic data to argue that Lesu was a village within a region that has a particular colonial history.
Subjects
Cultural identity and pride
Linguistic identification
Community structure
Inter-community relations
Exchange transactions
Inter-community relations
Inter-ethnic relations
Organized ceremonial
Ethnic stratification
External relations
External trade
Labor supply and employment
Religious experience
Missions
Basis of marriage
Puberty and initiation
culture
Lesu
HRAF PubDate
2012
Region
Oceania
Sub Region
Melanesia
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Anthropologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Teferi Abate Adem; 2011
Field Date
1987
Coverage Date
1880-1987
Coverage Place
Lesu, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea
Notes
Abraham Rosman and Paula G. Rubel
Includes bibliographical references (p. 387)
LCCN
73645054
LCSH
New Ireland Province (Papua New Guinea)
Ethnology--Papua New Guinea--New Ireland
Lesu, New Ireland (Papua New Guinea)