Signs of recognition : powers and hazards of representation in an Indonesian society /

Keane's detailed account of social and ritual life in an Indonesian society focuses on the relationships among fixed ways of speaking, the process of social interactions, and the values given to special material objects. The book is based on fieldwork in Anakalang society, on the island of Sumba in eastern Indonesia. It builds on a long line of studies conducted in this region concerning ritual speaking and social organization, but emphasizes the contingencies and risks involved in ritual and social events. The author illustrates his sophisticated discussions of semiotic theory through case studies of ritual encounters and exchanges on the occasions of marriages and funerals. Issues of social rank, religious change, and gender ideology are also discussed. Upper-division undergraduates and above. J. R. Bowen; Washington University