Religion and Magic 2009-04-09 Religion: Belief and ritual concerned with supernatural beings, powers, and forces Public, practiced as a group Cooperative, good Religion as a social organization Cooperation, cohesion, identity Leadership Governance and adjudication Code of ethics- 10 commandments Ordeals, oracles, divination Healing (physical, social) Appeasing ancestors, spirits Exorcism Unwitching Energy Transfer Life Events (affirm identity, membership) Rites of Passage (marriage, initiation into adulthood) Separation Liminality Incorporation into society Comunitas- collective liminality Religion Belief and ritual concerned with supernatural powers, and forces Public, group Cooperative, good Magic Supernatural techniques intended to accomplish specific aims Personal Antisocial, morally dubious Contagious magic- what ever is done to an object believes to affect the person Magic can be positive or negative Witchcraft: magic for selfish gain (the negative) Sorcery: magical objects (charms, potions, medicines) for selfish gain Witchdoctor: unwitches- uses their power to undo spells Witchcraft among the Azande of the Sudan, 1930s (evansPritchard) Misfortune- witchcraft, sometimes sorcery Ex. Someone tripping blamed on witchcraft In Principle: caused by witchcraft essence Has will of its own what people do not remember In practice: Usually unconscious Steps 1. Misfortune occurs 2. Divination rubbing board termite oracle 3. Accusation (often stops here) shameful 4. If doesn t stop- goo to poison oracle feed poison to a chick if dies then there was witchcraft involved 5. Repentance apology with gift EVERYONE is a potential witch Costs of being a witch Shameful Benefit People won t mess with you Religion and Magic: panama s Wounaan See it as positive and negative Spirits around all the time People who are able to see them, pay for training or have a special gift (training means take drugs) Shaman- curing/causing spirits Black Shaman- make ill Precapitalist Political Power Power- the ability to exercise one s will over others Authority Socially approved use of power based on status Sociopolitical organization- regulation or management of relations among groups and their representatives Progress vs. non-progressive change Cultural change is NOT progressive Be wary of: primitive/advanced still No such thing as uncontacted Elman Service (1962) sociopolitical typology Band Usually kin based group No formalized leaders Can not enforce decisions Egalitarian (achieved status) Usually mobile, low population density Roughly correlated with foraging Tribe Roughly correlated with horticulture or pastoral economy Little social stratification Leadership; achieved status Semi-sedentary- higher population density Sometimes have pantribal sodalities Chiefdom Chiefs: inherited title, royal clans (ascribed) Power is politically regulated Tribute Roughly correlated with intensive horticulture, agriculture, pastoralism Amazonia, Polynesia, some Europe, North America Ex. Natchez, 18th century Louisiana Polynesia (Samoan Chief) State Complex social stratification Social Stratification (differential access) Economic Status- wealth Political Status- power Social status- prestige Taxation Institutionalized law and government Courts Intervention in family affairs Enforcements Roughly correlates with agriculture and industrialism How is power maintained: Theocracy: supernatural authority Wealth Clothing Residence Ritual Elite propaganda through control of symbols (iconography) Monumental labor projects Currently, everyone in the world lives within a nation-state and is subject to it s control Imperialism and Colonialism Imperialism Extending rule and holding colonies Colonialism: Political, social, economic, and cultural domination of territory and people 1492 when Columbus came to the new world by 1914 85% of the world was ruled by Europe English empire covered a 1/5 of the world s land surface Two Periods Phase 1: 1492-1825(1830) Goal: Enrich royalty (precapitalism)/ expand state Expand religion Dominant Powers: Portugal, Spain, Holland Phase 2: 1825(1830)-1960s Goal: Obtain Land, resources, labor, consumers (capitalist) Dominant Powers: England, France, Germany Settled Colonies Minority of colonies In environment most like Europe: eastern north America, argentina, south africa, African highlands, australia Place for excess population Criminals and religious extremists Extractive colonies Majority of colonies Natural resources Agricultural commodities Ideology of Colonialism Discourses used to justify colonial power Progressual social evolution (EB Tyler) Savagery barbarism civilization Modernization (technology = progress) Race (assumed and erroneous!- racial superiority) White Man s Burden- improve other people How did colonial powers control people and maintain power Military power Forced conscription/military service Slavery Gunboat democracy Economic Power: carrot (consumer goods) stick (hut tax, head tax) Dual Economy Fees (with bureaucracy) Censuses ID cards Birth Certificates Ideological power: Education Missionization (teaching colonial ideology with scientific authority) Demonstration of colonial ideology Indirect Rule Balance sheet for colonialism Healthcare: Mozambique: 500 yr portugese rule, End of Colonialism 1900-1960s Too Expensive, independence Capitalism: An economic system in which the means of production are by free laborers and are mainly in private ownership for private gain. Neocolonialism and Globalization Legacies of Colonialism Development Intervention philosophy Economic Development Identity industrialization often = westernization Colonialism invente countries and social groups Ex.: west Africa tribes Post Colonial Studues Neoliberalism: Governent should not regulate economy, that is, that economy should run on a free market and free trade. Dominant intervention phiolosphy today Neoliberalism entails: Tariff- and- barrier- free international trade Maximization of profits For loans, gov. must accet neoliberal principles Neocolonialism: continued indirect domination of poor countries by wealthy ones Forces of Neocolonialism Global policy organizations Foreign governments Corporations Non-governmental organizations (aid, development, conservation) Missionaries, journalists, researchers Neocolonialism vs. Globalization Neocolonialsim: continued indirect domination of poor by wealthy countries Globalization: increased mobility of gods, services, labor, technology, and capital throughout the world At a rapid pace 2009-04-09 2009-04-09