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The principle of communality is denoted as the ability of the originally and essentially communal worldview, consciousness, behavioral pattern, socio-political norms and relations to spread on all the levels of societal complexity including, though in modified or sometimes even cor-rupted form, sociologically supra- and non-communal. As a pivotal s...
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Context 1
... Hann, an acknowledged specialist in post-socialist anthropology, in a debate (Hann 2007b) about the specifics of the discipline of ethnology in Central and Eastern Europe compared to the understanding of ethnology in the US, the UK, and other Western Euro- pean countries, pointed on to Herder, the scholar who made the terms nation and folk synonymous (Hann 2007b, 261), something that has had a long lasting effect on ethnolo- gical scholarship in Central and Eastern Europe (Hann 2007a, 7). The emphasis Herder placed was on the "recognition of the unique spirit of each people" (Hann 2007a, 9). Thus "studying peoples" was often taken in Central and Eastern Europe to mean an interest in documenting the "pristine" local/regional/areal "folk culture" found and described in the rural hinterlands of nation-states. Ernest Gellner defined the development of ethnological scholarship in Central and Eastern Europe as a "salvage operation" which could be under- stood as culture politics and "ethnography at home". In his words ethnology appeared in this region in the 19 th century as a "salvage operation" and "cultural engineering" (Gellner 1996, ...
Citations
... Modern political institutions and the bearers of power contained in them cannot perform this function. at the same time, the indigenous rulers are a manifestation of the fundamentals of the historical, cultural, and sociopolitical tradition of the sub-Saharan african peoples (Bondarenko, 2015). Within the framework of the cultural logic conditioned by this tradition, the ways in which africans "perceive such things, 'presidency,' 'democracy,' and 'representation,' are connected in a very concrete sense to chieftaincy" (Kallinen, 2006: 78). ...
In post-colonial states, in particular sub-Saharan african, an appeal to the historical past for the construction of national identity acquires great importance. In particular, it becomes important due to the failure of attempts to copy political models based on European theories and experience and therefore turning to "neotraditionalism" as an ideological basis in attempts to rally citizens around authorities. What makes it possible is the eclecticism of public consciousness and collective picture of the world generated by colonialism and strengthened by the transformations of the postcolonial era. Neotraditional relationships, of course, do not absorb all the diversity of types of relationships in socially and culturally very multi-layered postcolonial societies. However, it should be noted that today, they find areas of implementation in public consciousness and practice, and there is even a tendency to expand these areas.
... In accordance with Foucault's idea of present time, our book places the analyses as the application of 'material space theory' in postmodern period having impact on the methods of normative and applied social habits in Africa's past and present historical/social practices. Simultaneously the book's diasporic imaginary invites readers' attention to the current space theory, which verifies the problem of multi-location, and declares that the idea of 'here' and 'there' becomes blurred due to the idea of experience as displacement of space (Bhabha 1989). Interestingly, here also ethnographic research is being historicized with contexts, thereby becoming African double historicity of relics and the current attempts to restore heritage. ...
... Conforming to this mode, the chapters in our book seem to be an example of 'historical anthropology,' informing that 'Africa and African diaspora' have arrived at a stage, where Wallerstein's (2017) idea of the 'global world system' would apply. As Bondarenko (2015) claims, the African authentic worldview supporting the 'core of social life' deserves to be scrutinized and appreciated to reconstruct an energized 'memory' in the development of 'public consciousness,' a moving revitalized space. Autonomous cultural entities here and abroad (e.g., Indians in Tanzania) raises the question of understanding social change and cultural transformation as situated within interconnected spaces. ...
... But in complex African societies, from pre-colonial to colonial to post-colonial, the principle of communality manifests itself in the capacity of the original and essentially communal worldview, consciousness, behavioral pattern, sociopolitical norms and relations to spread far beyond community as an institution. These communal principles now play a crucial role at all levels of societal complexity and in a great variety of institutions including, though in modified or sometimes even corrupted form, sociologically supra-and non-communal formations, up to modern cities and diaspora networks (Bondarenko 2015). ...
... With the rise of capitalism in Western Europe, the community began to decompose, as it did not satisfy the needs of the industrial society and could only hinder the new development (e.g., Kamen 2000: 126-137). However, in most colonial and post-colonial nations, the community remained and remains a fundamental institution, as, despite imposition of many essentially capitalist institutions and relations, there still were and are important spheres and segments of life in those societies (especially in rural settings) which the community can serve adequately (Bondarenko 2015;Meillassoux 1991Meillassoux [1975). In particular, "African development must build on independent nation-states whose economic base is pre-industrial agriculture" (Hart 2011: 13). ...
Introduction describes the main aim of the volume as to present a novel approach to the study of social evolution. This approach is based on a look at, and analysis of social evolution through the evolution of social institutions associated with the rise and development of social complexity. Evolution is defined as the process of structural change. Within this framework, the society, or culture, is seen as a system composed of a great number of various social institutions that are interacting and changing. As a result, the whole structure of society is changing, that is evolving. Evolution does not have any particular direction, as any significant (that is, transforming the societal structure in any direction) change is evolutionary. Introduction gives an outline of the history of the notion of social institution and its conceptualization, and describes social institutions’ main characteristics and functions. It also summarizes the volume’s theoretical chapters and case studies.
The editors of this issue of the Journal of the Institute for African Studies introduce the theme of African futures, and insist on the plural meanings it involves as both a concept and an empirical reality. The relationship between the continent’s futures and its multiple pasts and presents are considered, and the concept of ‘trajectory’ is used to integrate those multiple African realities into an integrated picture of human agency and human action in the continent today. The editors then introduce the papers that follow in this special issue.
