Might be of interest to some.
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Subject: [JFRR] An Introduction to Shamanism (DuBois, Thomas A.)
An Introduction to Shamanism. By Thomas A. DuBois. 2009. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press. 330 pages. ISBN: 9780521873536 (hard
cover), 9780521695367 (soft cover).
Reviewed by Paula Girshick, Indiana University
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[Word count: 959 words]
This book is a general introduction to the study of shamanism and is
aimed at a university-level audience as well as anyone seeking a
scholarly treatment of the topic (in contrast to the numerous glossy
popular books available). It grew out of a course taught by DuBois, a
professor of Scandinavian studies at the University of Wisconsin, and
the extensive and up-to-date bibliography will be of great use to
teachers and students alike. DuBois covers a wide range of sources
from as far away as the Trobriand Islands, New Guinea, but puts
special emphasis on ethnographies from Siberia (understandably since
that is the source of the term and many of the concepts associated
with shamanism) as well as his own research experience with an
immigrant Hmong shaman in America.
The book is organized into five parts, each of which is broken down
into several chapters. In the introductory section DuBois
problematizes the concept of shamanism itself, a construct that arose
out of contact and conquest. He addresses core questions that have
dominated the literature for more than a century: is shamanism a
religion by itself or just a component of a religion? What can we
know about its origin(s) from travelers' accounts, archaeological
finds, and phenomenological queries? Should the term be confined to
the one geographical area (Siberia) or can it be applied universally?
Is it specific to certain types of individuals or is the capacity
inherent in human being? To address these issues DuBois examines the
history of the study, focusing on the work of historians of religion
and anthropologists to show how definitions have changed as scholarly
understandings of religion itself have changed.
In the second part, "Shamanic Soteriology [a term he employs to refer
to religious traditions based on customary practice rather than
theologies of awe] and Ritual," DuBois asks whether there is such a
thing as a unified shamanic cosmology. He concludes that even given
the great differences in context all these belief systems share a
concept of a multilayered world through which the shaman moves in a
trance to negotiate with spirits in order to help his community.
DuBois goes on to discuss how shamans are called and then trained by
both spirits and fellow practitioners in intense relationships that
are sustained through life. DuBois stresses that shamans are
professionals who specialize in some or all the activities of
healing, divining, bringing luck, sacrificing, and leading souls to
the afterlife. He quite rightly emphasizes the importance of
acquiring and maintaining a reputation through effective performances
and community support.
The third part, "Examining Ritual Effectiveness," addresses the
persistent question of whether shamanic healing rituals actually
work. DuBois takes a relativistic view of medicine, problematizing
our cultural commitment to science as the only mode of understanding.
He focuses instead on indigenous notions of healing as they affect
individuals and communities and suggests that we look to cognitive
science as the way to link supernatural experience with measurable
neural functions of the brain and body.
The fourth part should of special interest to folklorists and
anthropologists interested in music, material culture, and verbal
lore -- in DuBois' terms the shaman's "arsenal of performative
techniques." Unfortunately, it is the weakest section as he
inadequately addresses that very aspect. DuBois argues that the aural
components of shamanic ritual are more important than the visual as
they are often understood as the very essence of shamanic power.
Music frames the event and can facilitate the achievement of trance
while the shaman's ongoing narrative helps him negotiate with
spirits. DuBois briefly mentions the power of words but mainly
focuses on the various verbal genres shamans employ (myths, legends,
and the like). In this he is missing an opportunity to utilize the
performance-centered approaches developed in folklore,
sociolinguistics, and linguistic anthropology. The same criticism
applies to his discussion of material culture. DuBois acknowledges
that costume, sculpture, masks, and altars mark the role of the
shaman and serve as a manifestation of sacred power but he fails to
bring to bear studies in visual culture and the anthropology of art
which address the aesthetic and performative aspects of material
culture.
The last part, "Shamanic Politics in a Changing World," explores a
range of developments, from the persecutions of shamans in Russia
after the Revolution to revivals in South Korea where it is
highlighted as a "cultural treasure." DuBois is particularly
interested in what happens as cultures become more modernized and
shamanic traditions become marginalized in competition with major
religions (primarily Christianity), although aspects can become
incorporated into them. His last chapter deals with Neo-shamanism in
two senses -- as beliefs and practices which are adopted by New Agers
based on their readings of popular books, some by anthropologists
profiting from their field experiences, as well as those observed by
people coming from these very shamanic traditions who read the same
books, perform for tourists, and generally participate in the global
spiritual market.
Beyond the extensive examples and excellent bibliography, DuBois'
main contribution to the discussion at hand lies in his attempt to
provide a workable conceptualization of shamanism in the face of all
these different approaches and varied cultural examples. He sides
with those who argue that shamanism occurs most frequently in Eurasia
and the Americas, especially among hunting and gathering and
subsistence agriculture peoples, but he leaves room for other
cultural configurations. DuBois carefully navigates the different
theoretical approaches, trying to avoid biases underlying older ones
and treating shamanic practices respectfully. The result is a
conceptualization grounded in ethnography and stressing what shamans
do with and for the community rather than their psychology,
attainment of trance states, or other components. Overall this book
is the most comprehensive and pedagogically useful of the recent wave
of scholarly and popular books attempting to cover the topic.
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