Politics and Ritual
The Communist Festa in Italy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2581636 |
|---|---|
| Authors | David I Kertzer (0000-0001-9507-3154, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1974 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 374 |
| Publication date | 1974-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Anthropological Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-5491 • E-ISSN: 1534-1518 |
| Publisher | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/3316605 |
| OpenAlex | W2324075418 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 2 |
Control of communal ritual can be an important aspect of political competition on the local level. The struggle for control of one such prominent sphere of community ritual-the Italian festa system-is analyzed. Focusing on a particular working-class quartiere, the competition between the Catholic Church and the Communist Party for festa supremacy is examined. It is argued that the static, functional view of ritual forms as reflecting political power relations in the community should be superceded by a more dialectical conception of the ritual-political interrelationship. The social importance of the annual festa cycle has been noted throughout the northwestern Mediterranean area, as well as throughout much of Latin America. Often these celebrations are cited as providing evidence for the central position of the Church in the local community. In this static model, allegiance to the Church is regularly reaffirmed through popular participation in the Church-sponsored festa cycle: the Church comes to symbolize the community. Indeed, the festa of the community, employing the ritual of the Church, has been portrayed in some cases as the socially defining characteristic of the community. Hence Boissevain's remarks on the Maltese situation: The festa is thus an occasion on which communal values are reaffirmed and strengthened, as individuals and groups express their loyalty to their patron saint and unite to defend and enhance the reputation of their village. At the same time, the central position which the Church occupies in the social structure is strongly reinforced, for the parish church is the hub around which this festive occasion turns (Boissevain 1969:59). The importance of ritual to community solidarity, however, transcends any simple static model.2 While ritual may be conceived as symbolizing and reinforcing power relations in the local social grouping (Leach 1954:10-17), it may also be seen as a potential means of combatting the political status quo, of contesting political authority (Balandier
Ancient history · Art · Communism · Political science · Politics · Sociology · History · Italian Fascism and Post-war Society · Law · Philosophy · Religious studies
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,1 |
| Citation span | 1977 - 2020 (44) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |