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Social images and social change in a Melanesian society
Author(s) -
WHITE GEOFFREY M.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
american ethnologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.875
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1548-1425
pISSN - 0094-0496
DOI - 10.1525/ae.1980.7.2.02a00080
Subject(s) - sociology , social change , ethnography , social identity theory , gender studies , anthropology , social psychology , social group , social science , psychology , political science , law
A conceptual model of social images depicts the attribution of personal traits to a range of leadership statuses and to a Christian Person by A'araspeakers of Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands. The model suggests that the contrast of mission‐ and government‐type leaders, as well as that of Christian and traditional aspects of A'ara social identity, are built upon an underlying opposition of traits of social harmony and social dominance. Interpretation of A'ara social images in historical and ethnographic context suggests that these oppositions have been an important and continuing theme in sociocultural changes on Santa Isabel since extensive contact with Western society. The changes are reflected most dramatically in a number of social movements on the island. [cognitive anthropology, social images, social movements, Melanesia]