Doctor, Lawyer, Wise Man, Priest: Big-Men and Knowledge in Melanesia

Lindstrom, Lamont

doi:10.2307/2802282

Cited by 64 publications

(23 citation statements)

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“…The emergence of individuals with strongly differentiated social status may have resulted from rapid change and "diffuse unity" characterized by common elements of worldviews that characterize Chibchan-speaking populations (Hoopes and Fonseca, 2003). Although it is difficult to recognize individual actors, control of knowledge as "the dominant dimension of inequality" (Lindstrom, 1984) appears to have been a key element. The use of specialized knowledge within local groups fostered the replication of similar structures of inequality within diverse cultural contexts by "routinization" of rituals and practices in the context of religious sodalities or priesthoods (Oyuela, 2001(Oyuela, , 2002.…”

Section: Theoretical Approaches To the Chibchan Worldmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Emergence of Social Complexity in the Chibchan World of Southern Central America and Northern Colombia, AD 300?600

Hoopes

2005

J Archaeol Res

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The societies of southern Central America and northern South America, a region historically occupied by Chibchan-speaking peoples, have long been acknowledged as valuable sources of information on chiefdoms and other forms of prestate social organization. Most studies, however, have focused on chiefdoms that are known ethnographically or ethnohistorically with an emphasis on the sixteenth century and the immediate precontact period. This paper reviews archaeological evidence from an earlier period in an attempt to elucidate general patterns associated with the earliest appearance of social inequality. The centuries between AD 300 and 600 are characterized by the first widespread use of prestige goods manufactured from gold and jade, special cemeteries for the interment of elites, and a rich iconography. Detailed consideration of recent research relevant to the events of this period highlights some of the problems inherent in the archaeological identification of hierarchy, chiefdoms, leadership, and other features of prestate complex societies.

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Section: Theoretical Approaches To the Chibchan Worldmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Emergence of Social Complexity in the Chibchan World of Southern Central America and Northern Colombia, AD 300?600

Hoopes

2005

J Archaeol Res

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“…A significant theme in anthropological literature concerns the ways in which people control and exchange knowledge for particular ends, whether personal or societal (see for example Lindstrom 1984). While control of knowledge is often a source of power within communities, here we discuss its use in maintaining and negotiating relationships with outsiders.…”

Section: Factors Influencing Availability Of Meaning and Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%

‘Explaining the Unknowable’: Accessibility of Meaning and the Exegesis of Mali Baining Songs

Stebbins

Planigale

2010

Australian Journal of Linguistics

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Songs and other expressive forms of language may carry meaning at a range of levels. A variety of factors influence the accessibility of these different layers of meaning. This paper explores issues associated with explanation of the meaning (exegesis) of night and day dance songs of the Mali Baining people of Papua New Guinea. We draw a parallel between accessibility of meaning in relation to cultural practices such as dance complexes, and accessibility of linguistic meaning in relation to specific texts, to present a framework for explaining why aspects of meaning or knowledge may remain inaccessible to researchers in cross-cultural settings.

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“…Med utgangspunkt i ulike former for politisk organisering beskriver antropologer det de kaller «kunnskapsbaserte samfunn» i Melanesia (f.eks. Lindstrom, 1984;Harrison, 1989). 9 Der har det i mange områder eksistert systemer av ritualer og kunnskapsoverføring hvor unge gutter ble gitt den kunnskapen de trengte for å bli voksne menn.…”

Section: Hus Og Kunnskapunclassified

Det åpne bibliotek

2017

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Doctor, Lawyer, Wise Man, Priest: Big-Men and Knowledge in Melanesia

Cited by 64 publications

References 1 publication

The Emergence of Social Complexity in the Chibchan World of Southern Central America and Northern Colombia, AD 300?600

The Emergence of Social Complexity in the Chibchan World of Southern Central America and Northern Colombia, AD 300?600

‘Explaining the Unknowable’: Accessibility of Meaning and the Exegesis of Mali Baining Songs

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