Introduction: Gesture and Power
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Published:January 2016
This chapter introduces the book and the concept of performative encounters. Performative encounters in daily life at the micro level can have a decisive effect on macro-level systems of power and structures of authority and also be impacted by those same societal structures—especially in the realm of religion. This chapter introduces the concepts of the body as center, conduit, and catalyst and also defines the three Kongo everyday cultural performances of interest (bimpampa, makinu, and zakama). The chapter discusses the methods used in the study, including participant observation, individual and group interviews, and archival research. It also places the overall book in dialogue with existing literature on embodied histories, performed nationalisms, and spirit possession, in order to argue that bodies in everyday life performances are critical tools for social change.
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