The Making of Great Men: Male Domination and Power among the New Guinea Baruya (Cambridge Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology) [Paperback]

Maurice Godelier (Author), Rupert Swyer (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 1986 | ISBN-10: 0521312124 | ISBN-13: 978-0521312127

The Baruya are a tribal society in highlands Papua New Guinea, with whom Western contact was first made in 1951. During the last twenty years, Maurice Godelier has spent many long periods of time living among this people, and in this book he presents a detailed account of their lives and their forms of social organization. The focus of the book is on inequality and power in this classless society. Godelier discusses both the power that certain men (the Great men) have over others through their control of war, shamanism, hunting, and rites of initiation, as well as the extraordinary power and domination that men in general exert over women. He explores how this domination is produced and maintained, examining it in particular through a detailed study of male and female initiation. He also analyzes the role that sexuality plays in Baruya thought and theories, showing that in the Baruya view, every aspect of domination - be it (in Western categorization) economic, political, or symbolic - can be explained by sexuality, and the different role of the sexes in human reproduction. A major contribution both to the ethnography of Melanesia and to anthropological theory, the book will interest scholars and students of anthropology, as well as other readers interested in power and inequality, and in the relationships between the sexes.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

This portrayal of the classless Baruya society of Papua New Guinea explores the nature of male domination through a detailed study of male and female initiation rites as well as other expressions of sexuality in Baruya thought and theory. Copublished with the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme.

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (March 31, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521312124
• ISBN-13: 978-0521312127
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,390,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing perspective in the field of Anthropology, September 2, 2000

By 

Weiming (Ithaca, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Making of Great Men: Male Domination and Power among the New Guinea Baruya (Cambridge Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology) (Paperback)

The Making of Great Men presents an enlightened look at the different cultures and symbolic forms used by natives in remotely distant parts of the world. The encounters with alterity are supplemented with countless first-hand and experience-near observations. At the same time, Maurice manages to entice the reader with snippets of research information and engaging records of conversations with the natives. At first glance, the different portions of the book appear disparate, but more in-depth reading leads one to appreciate the intense level of research put in by Maurice and a coherent picture of the cultural tapestry of the world we live in is presented throughout the book. It is intriguing to discover that natives living in distant parts of the world, both geographically and linguistically, manage to develop their own symbolic forms and share many common behavioural traits. Gradually, one is led in an affirmation of the uniqueness of human life and a stronger identification with cultural identity. The Making of Great Men serves not only as an insight into foreign cultural norms but a lucid introduction to the field of Anthropology. Highly recommended reading.