In 1999, a very postmodern movie entered the programs of movie theatres: Being John Malkovich. In this extraordinary piece of film, unemployed puppeteer Craig Schwartz makes a bizarre discovery. Being hired as a file sorter, Schwartz discovers a little door in the 7 1/2 story of his new workplace, which leads right into the brain of actor John Malkovich. He can see, hear, smell and feel what Malkovich does.
What a desirable notion for an anthropologist. No more speculation about the motives, norms, relations or beliefs that makes humans think and do certain things. Beyond ethnography, it could be even more fascinating to find out what the fathers of our own professional lineage caused them to perceive the anthropological subject in specific ways. The following account is foremost an experiment in the creative possibilities of rethinking anthropological theory. I want to gain an insight into the life and work of Victor Turner by partly playing his role in this paper. How do I legitimize this unconventional analysis?
I see it as a logical consequence of postmodern thinking and practice. If the “Self” and the “Other” are categories of thought rather than discrete entities, I see no reason why I should not speak with the voice of the Other. Also, as we are diagnosed to be subjective, why not include subjective fictional elements in our writing? My paper does not follow the exact rules of general scientific writing as to coherence, style and precision of facts. But in a Batesonesque experiment I apply his method of loose and strict thinking (Bateson 1973: 47-49) to approach the life and work of Victor Turner. By participating in the identity and biography of Victor Turner I observe his specific way of thinking. The major part of the paper deals with Victor Turner´s personal and academic life which are closely linked to his notions of culture, ritual and the anthropological subject. The final section will briefly discuss the connections of (auto)biography and anthropology from a theoretical viewpoint.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Victor about Victor
Age 1 through 18
The Road to Anthropology
Fieldwork
Academic stations 1957-1983
The Ritual Process and Biography
A Catholic Anthropologist?
Changing Interests
The Literary Factor
3. (Auto)Biography and Theory
Objectives and Research Themes
This work explores the intersection of autobiography and anthropological theory through the lens of Victor Turner’s life and professional trajectory. It examines how Turner's personal history, religious conversion, and intellectual development influenced his seminal concepts in anthropology, aiming to demonstrate the inseparable nature of biography and scientific practice.
- Postmodern approaches to ethnographic writing and subjectivity.
- The evolution of Turner's anthropological concepts: ritual, liminality, and communitas.
- The influence of personal life history on the development of academic theories.
- The potential for new, experimental literary styles in ethnographic representation.
- Interdisciplinary integration of performance studies, theatre, and neurobiology.
Excerpt from the Book
Fieldwork
Max Gluckman was among the founders of the Rhodes-Livinstone Institute in Lusaka, Zambia. (The Institute was funded by the British colonial government to use anthropological knowledge to learn about the peoples there. Of course with the aim to make them “governable” easier, which was not exactly the most glorious chapter of our subject.) First, I planned to do an acculturation study of the Mambwe but then a telegram reached me. Gluckman proposed me to “travel North to study the Ndembu, lo ts of malaria, yellow fever and a lot of rituals”.
So my wife and I spent almost two and a half years in the village of Mukanza living among the Ndembu. I concentrated first on demography and economics but then I realized the richness of ritual action and symbols was worth taking a closer look. More and more I began to abandon the idea that material interests lay at the core of human relationships. It seemed to be more the ritual expression of shared symbols and values which provided the basis for human relationships and also the basis for resolving potential conflict.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the work as a postmodern experiment in rethinking anthropological theory by engaging with the life and work of Victor Turner.
2. Victor about Victor: This section details Turner’s personal history, including his early life, his transition into anthropology, his fieldwork among the Ndembu, and the development of his key concepts like liminality and communitas.
3. (Auto)Biography and Theory: This chapter addresses the broader theoretical implications of the study, arguing for the necessity of acknowledging the role of the researcher's biography in the production of ethnographic knowledge.
Keywords
Anthropology, Victor Turner, Ndembu, Ritual, Liminality, Communitas, Social Drama, Autobiography, Subjectivity, Ethnography, Postmodernism, Fieldwork, Theory, Symbolism, Intersubjectivity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this work?
The work focuses on the creative possibilities of rethinking anthropological theory by exploring the life and work of Victor Turner through a biographical and experimental lens.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The central themes include the nature of ritual, the intersection of biography and scientific inquiry, the methodology of fieldwork, and the role of the anthropologist's subjectivity in ethnographic research.
What is the primary goal of the research?
The primary goal is to examine how personal experiences shape the professional work of an anthropologist and to argue for the legitimacy of experimental, subjective writing styles in the social sciences.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author employs a Batesonesque "loose and strict" thinking method, incorporating autobiographical reflection and a processual analysis of Turner's life and academic development.
What does the main body of the paper address?
The main body examines Victor Turner's personal and academic career, his fieldwork in Africa, his developing concepts of ritual and structure, and the influence of literature and religion on his theoretical frameworks.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Anthropology, Victor Turner, Liminality, Communitas, Social Drama, Autobiography, Ethnography, and Intersubjectivity.
How did fieldwork influence Turner’s theoretical approach?
Fieldwork among the Ndembu shifted Turner away from a purely structural-functionalist view toward a deeper understanding of ritual and symbolic action as mechanisms for resolving social conflict.
How does the concept of "liminality" relate to Turner’s biography?
Liminality reflects Turner's own experiences of transition and marginality, such as his wartime service and his move between cultures, serving as a decisive moment in his anthropological interpretation of social transformation.
- Quote paper
- Rene Kaufmann (Author), 2004, Being Victor Turner, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/33018
