2nd Edition

The Maasai of Matapato A Study of Rituals of Rebellion

By Paul Spencer Copyright 2004
    320 Pages
    by Routledge

    320 Pages
    by Routledge

    When first published in 1988, this classic study was the first to relate the dynamics of the Maasai age organisation to the tensions within the family. Together, these provide the twin strands of a man's career, opposed ritually and reflecting a fundamental ambivalence in Maasai thought. The analysis is illustrated with extensive case material from the the Matapato, selected for this study as a typical Maasai group.

    List of maps and figures, Preface to new edition, Preface and acknowledgements, Note on Maasai terms, Introduction, 1. The Pastoral Enterprise, 2. Investment in Marriage, 3. The Uncertain Gift of Life, 4. The Maternal Bond and the Paternal Yoke in Childhood, 5. Induction into the Age System, 6. The  Upsurge of Ritual Rebellion, 7. The Manyata as a Republic, 8. Anger, Constraint and the Ideology of Moranhood, 9. Eunoto, 10. The Transition to Elderhood and Relations through Women, 11. The Women's Collective Response, 12. Age Bonds and Ritual Power in Elderhood, 13. Elderhood and the Paternal Yoke, 14. The Meat Feast, 15. Conclusion: Rituals of Rebellion and the Trusteeship of Maasai Culture, References, Subject index, Maasai index, Author index

    Biography

    Paul Spencer (Author)