Egalitarian Dynamics: Liminality, and Victor Turner’s Contribution to the Understanding of Socio-historical Process
The edited volume "Egalitarian Dynamics: Liminality, and Victor Turner’s Contribution to the Understanding of Socio-historical Process", has recently been published, offering fresh perspectives on the anthropologist’s enduring influence. Edited by renowned scholars Bruce Kapferer and Marina Gold, the book delves into Turner’s concept of liminality and its relevance to contemporary social dynamics, exploring how his theories continue to shape our understanding of culture, power, and societal change. This comprehensive collection brings together leading voices in anthropology to examine the ongoing significance of Turner’s work in the context of modern socio-historical processes.
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The book comes out of Professor Bruce Kapferer’s long-standing research—including the ERC Advanced Grant project “Egalitarnianism: Forms, Processes, Comparisons” that ran from 2014 to 2021 and engaged a number of people in the Department. In addition to Kapferer, among those who have been formally affiliated with or hired by the Department the book includes contributions by Marina Gold and Dinesan Vadakkiniyil.
Liminality: the state of being ‘betwixt and between’ is one of anthropology’s most influential concepts. This volume reconsiders Victor Turner’s innovative extension of Arnold Van Gennep’s concept of liminality from within the Manchester tradition of Social Anthropology established by Max Gluckman. Turner’s work was grounded in ethnography and engaged with philosophical perspectives in varied socio-historical contexts, extending well-beyond the confines of the anthropology that initially inspired much of his work. Liminality has therefore become a concept with broad interdisciplinary reach. Engaging with topical issues across the globe – from neuroscience to open access publishing and refugee experiences in Europe – this volume launches Turner’s fundamental work into the future.