Full Description
Betafo, a rural community in central Madagascar, is divided between the descendants of nobles and descendants of slaves. Anthropologist David Graeber arrived for fieldwork at the height of tensions attributed to a disastrous communal ordeal two years earlier. As Graeber uncovers the layers of historical, social, and cultural knowledge required to understand this event, he elaborates a new view of power, inequality, and the political role of narrative. Combining theoretical subtlety, a compelling narrative line, and vividly drawn characters, Lost People is a singular contribution to the anthropology of politics and the literature on ethnographic writing.
Contents
Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments
Notes on Malagasy Pronunciation
1. Betafo, 1990
2. Royal Authority
3. Negative Authority
4. Character
5. A Brief History of Betafo
6. Anti-Heroic Politics
7. The Trials of Miadana
8. Lost People
9. The Descendants of Rainitamaina
10. It Must Have Gone Something Like This
11. Catastrophe
12. Epilogue
Glossary of Malagasy Terms
Personal Names in Text
Important Places Named in Text
Notes
Bibliography
Index
