Free Downloads The Afterlife Is Where We Come From: The Culture Of Infancy In West Africa
When a new baby arrives among the Beng people of West Africa, they see it not as being born, but as being reincarnated after a rich life in a previous world. Far from being a tabula rasa, a Beng infant is thought to begin its life filled with spiritual knowledge. How do these beliefs affect the way the Beng rear their children?In this unique and engaging ethnography of babies, Alma Gottlieb explores how religious ideology affects every aspect of Beng childrearing practices—from bathing infants to protecting them from disease to teaching them how to crawl and walk—and how widespread poverty limits these practices. A mother of two, Gottlieb includes moving discussions of how her experiences among the Beng changed the way she saw her own parenting. Throughout the book she also draws telling comparisons between Beng and Euro-American parenting, bringing home just how deeply culture matters to the way we all rear our children.All parents and anyone interested in the place of culture in the lives of infants, and vice versa, will enjoy The Afterlife Is Where We Come From."This wonderfully reflective text should provide the impetus for formulating research possibilities about infancy and toddlerhood for this century." — Caren J. Frost, Medical Anthropology Quarterly “Alma Gottlieb’s careful and thought-provoking account of infancy sheds spectacular light upon a much neglected topic. . . . [It] makes a strong case for the central place of babies in anthropological accounts of religion. Gottlieb’s remarkably rich account, delivered after a long and reflective period of gestation, deserves a wide audience across a range of disciplines.”—Anthony Simpson, Critique of Anthropology
Paperback: 427 pages
Publisher: University of Chicago Press; 1 edition (January 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0226305023
ISBN-13: 978-0226305028
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #303,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #142 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > History > Africa #171 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Anthropology > Physical #283 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Children's Studies
I had to purchase this book for a college course & it is excellent! Easy to read and understand. A little detailed with a lot of references and facts, but that is why it is used for school. Even if it was not for a class I would have purchased it.
Had to read this book for class and it did not disappoint. A little long for my liking but I am not complaining.
That rare anthropology book that's both academically sound and eminently readable. Highly recommended!
The Afterlife Is Where We Come From: The Culture of Infancy in West Africa Music in West Africa: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture (Global Music Series) Come One Come All: Easy Entertaining with Seasonal Menus Come August, Come Freedom: The Bellows, The Gallows, and The Black General Gabriel Come Rain or Come Shine (Mitford) Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems: Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior--Beyond the Basics from Infancy Through Toddlerhood From Diapers to Dating: A Parent's Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children - From Infancy to Middle School Language Disorders from Infancy through Adolescence: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Communicating, 4e Manual of Articulation and Phonological Disorders: Infancy through Adulthood (Clinical Competence) A Child's World: Infancy Through Adolescence Child Development From Infancy to Adolescence: An Active Learning Approach The Infancy Gospels of James and Thomas: With Introduction, Notes, and Original Text Featuring the New Scholars Version Translation (Scholars Bible) Shi'i Cosmopolitanisms in Africa: Lebanese Migration and Religious Conversion in Senegal (Public Cultures of the Middle East and North Africa) South Africa (Eoa) (Exploration of Africa; The Emerging Nations) Staying Healthy in Asia, Africa, and Latin America (Moon Handbooks Staying Healthy in Asia, Africa & Latin America) Africa's Top Wildlife Countries: Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe Tourism in Africa: Harnessing Tourism for Growth and Improved Livelihoods (Africa Development Forum) South Africa Lesotho & Swaziland (Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland) Southern Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe (Thornton Cox Guides)
