Totemism and Human–Animal Relations in West Africa
Sharon Merz, "Totemism and Human–Animal Relations in West Africa "
English | ISBN: 0367861860 | 2021 | 208 pages | EPUB | 610 KB
English | ISBN: 0367861860 | 2021 | 208 pages | EPUB | 610 KB
This book explores human–animal relations amongst the Bebelibe of West Africa, with a focus on the establishment of totemic relationships with animals, what these relationships entail and the consequences of abusing them. Employing and developing the concepts of "presencing" and "the ontological penumbra" to shed light on the manner in which people make present and engage in the world around them, including the shadowy spaces that have to be negotiated in order to make sense of the world, the author shows how these concepts account for empathetic and intersubjective encounters with non-human animals. Grounded in rich ethnographic work,
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