The anthropology of texts, persons and publics : oral and written culture in Africa and beyond / / Karin Barber

• Autore: Barber Karin <1949->
• Pubblicazione: Cambridge : , : Cambridge University Press, , 2007
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (ix, 276 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)
• Disciplina: 302.2
• Soggetto topico: Oral tradition; Folklore; Oral tradition - Africa; Folklore - Africa
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• Nota di contenuto: 1. Anthropology and text -- 2. Genre, society and history -- 3. The constitution of oral texts -- 4. Text and personhood -- 5. Audiences and publics -- 6. The private -- 7. Textual fields and popular creativity.
• Sommario/riassunto: What can texts - both written and oral - tell us about the societies that produce them? How are texts constituted in different cultures, and how do they shape societies and individuals? How can we understand the people who compose them? Drawing on examples from Africa and other countries, this original study sets out to answer these questions, by exploring textuality from a variety of angles. Topics covered include the importance of genre, the ways in which oral genres transcend the here-and-now, and the complex relationship between texts and the material world. Barber considers the ways in which personhood is evoked, both in oral poetry and in written diaries and letters, discusses the audience's role in creating the meaning of texts, and shows textual creativity to be a universal human capacity expressed in myriad forms. Engaging and thought-provoking, this book will be welcomed by anyone interested in anthropology, literature and cultural studies.
• Altri titoli varianti: The Anthropology of Texts, Persons & Publics
• Titolo autorizzato: The anthropology of texts, persons and publics
• ISBN: 1-107-17492-9; 1-281-24328-0; 9786611243289; 0-511-37785-1; 0-511-37694-4; 0-511-37600-6; 0-511-37450-X; 0-511-61965-0; 0-511-37874-2
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Record Nr.: 9910784513703321
• Lo trovi qui: Univ. Federico II
• Serie: New departures in anthropology.