Schism and Continuity in an African Society

A Study of Ndembu Village Life

Bibliographic Data

ID2684501
AuthorsV W Turner, Victor Turner (0000-0002-4591-9200)
Year2020
Pages375
Publication date2020-08-20
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
Reviewed bySchism and Continuity in an African Society, H S Morris, 1958
VenueSchism and Continuity in an African Society (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.4324/9781003134923
OpenAlexW4237313965
Open LibraryOL35863867M
ISBN9781003134923
LanguageEN
Citations received307

Victor Turner's "Schism and Continuity in an African Society: A Study of Ndembu Village Life" is a landmark study in social anthropology, first published in 1957. Based on fieldwork conducted among the Ndembu people of Zambia, the book explores the dynamics of social conflict and cohesion, focusing on the role of ritual in managing tensions arising from matrilineal descent and virilocal residence. Turner analyzes how schisms, often stemming from conflicts over succession and inheritance, are counterbalanced by processes that promote continuity and social integration. He introduces key concepts such as 'social drama,' 'processual analysis,' and 'liminality' to illuminate the cyclical nature of conflict and resolution in Ndembu society. The book demonstrates how rituals, particularly those surrounding life-cycle transitions and social conflict, serve to dramatize social tensions, articulate underlying structural contradictions, and ultimately reintegrate individuals and groups into the social fabric. Turner's work significantly influenced anthropological theory and continues to be a foundational text for understanding the relationship between ritual, conflict, and social change

Political science · Politics · Schism · African cultural and philosophical studies · African history and culture analysis · African Studies and Geopolitics · History · Law · Africa · Anthropology · Ndembu (african people) · Village communities

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