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This acknowledged masterpiece has been abridged to make it more accessible to students. In her introduction, Eva Gillies presents the case for the relevance of the book to modern anthropologists.
This work investigates the logical consistency and social function of belief systems regarding witchcraft, oracles, and magic within the Azande culture of Sudan. E. E. Evans-Pritchard, a foundational figure in social anthropology, utilizes extensive fieldwork to argue that these beliefs constitute a rational, self-consistent system of thought that explains misfortune and governs social relations. The text provides a structural analysis of how these metaphysical concepts operate as a coherent framework for understanding reality rather than as mere superstition.
What You Will Find
Experts widely recognize this text as a foundational pillar of modern social anthropology and a classic example of ethnographic research. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which remains a standard reference for students and scholars examining the intersection of belief and social structure.
Page Count:
265
Publication Date:
1976-06-24
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0198740298
ISBN-13:
9780198740292
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