This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bergendorff, S. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Semantic Frameworks: Methodological Reflections on How to Understand Mekeo "Sorcery" and "Magic"

Roskilde University

This article departs from what has become known as Mekeo "sorcery" to argue that postfieldwork analysis should pay special attention to local organizations of meaning and how these are reflected in local practices. With this in mind, I first seek to eliminate Western notions from my field notes. The local meaning system is then uncovered with the help of locally narrated stories about the Mekeo deity, A'aisa. Finally, the way these stories narrate the relationship between essence and appearance is used as a template to understand the Mekeo sorcerer and his magic.

Key Words: local meaning • conceptual clarification • principles of classification • cultural translations

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?