Labor's Lot: The Power, History, and Culture of Aboriginal Action
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Book Overview
How does an Aboriginal community see itself, its work, and its place on the land? Elizabeth Povinelli goes to the Belyuen community of northern Australia to show how it draws from deep connections between labor, language, and the landscape. Her findings challenge Western notions of "productive labor" and longstanding ideas about the role of culture in subsistence economies. In Labor's Lot, Povinelli shows how everyday activities shape Aboriginal identity and provide cultural meaning. She focuses on the Belyuen women's interactions with the countryside and on Belyuen conflicts with the Australian government over control of local land. Her analysis raises serious questions about the validity of Western theories about labor and culture and their impact on Aboriginal society. Povinelli's focus on women's activities provides an important counterpoint to recent works centering on male roles in hunter-gatherer societies. Her unique "cultural economy" approach overcomes the dichotomy between the two standard approaches to these studies. Labor's Lot will engage anyone interested in indigenous peoples or in the relationship between culture and economy in contemporary social practice.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0226676749
ISBN13:9780226676746
Release Date:May 1994
Publisher:University of Chicago Press
Length:339 Pages
Weight:1.05 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 6.1" x 9.0"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
THE POWER, HISTORY, AND CULTURE OF ABORIGINAL
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
GREAT BOOK TO READ. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY OR THE CULTURE OF ABORIIGINAL READ THIS BOOK. YOU WILL KNOW A LOT.
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