Taussig, Michael

Taussig, Michael
   Professor of anthropology at Columbia University. Taussig’s book Shamanism, Colonialism, and the Wild Man: A Study of Terror and Healing (1987) provides the foremost consideration of the work of Amazonian shamans confronted by and confronting the devastation of colonialism. It not only discusses healing, performance, and sorcery but also considers shamans’ political and cultural leadership (even when they may be marginal, ambiguous, and even feared members of their communities). Taussig also documents the widespread suspicion that European colonialism itself is a form of sorcery or “magia” that shamans, some using ayahuasca (yagé), can attempt to combat. Similar accusations against those who succeed or become rich are significant aspects of witchcraft discourse not only in Amazonia but also in Africa and elsewhere. All of this contributes to an understanding of the resilience of indigenous cultures, especially as they incorporate elements of originally discrete cultural practices and knowledge. Taussig’s work is an important challenge to romantic views of shamans as heroic and exceptional characters. His earthy, bawdy, and matter-of-fact confrontation with the devastating facts of colonial life roots his books in a more gritty reality, albeit sometimes in a trickster-like manner.

Historical dictionary of shamanism. . 2007.

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  • Michael Taussig — (born 1940) earned a medical degree from the University of Sydney, received his PhD. in anthropology from the London School of Economics and is a professor at Columbia University and European Graduate School.[1] Although he has published on… …   Wikipedia

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  • Michael Taussig — (* 3. April 1940 in Sydney) ist ein australischer Anthropologe.[1] Obwohl er zum Thema der medizinischen Anthropologie publiziert, ist er am besten für seine Auseinandersetzung mit Marx Idee des Warenfetischismus bekannt, vor allem im Hinblick… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Michael Taussig — (nacido en 1940) es un antropólogo australiano. Recibió su PhD en antropología en la London School of Economics, es profesor en la Universidad de Columbia y la European Graduate School.[1] Su área de especialización es la antropología médica. Los …   Wikipedia Español

  • Taussig — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Frank William Taussig (1859 1940), US amerikanischer Wirtschaftswissenschaftler, Professor in Harvard Helen Brooke Taussig (1898 1986), US amerikanische Kinder Kardiologin Helene von Taussig (1879−1942),… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Michael Polanyi — In England, 1933 Born Polányi Mihály March 11, 1891(1891 03 11) Budapest, Austria Hungary …   Wikipedia

  • Michael Polanyi — Nacimiento 11 de marzo de 1891 Budapest …   Wikipedia Español

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  • Bibliography —    As the scope of the dictionary entries and extent of this bibliography make clear, there is a huge range of literature on shamans, from introductory works, general discussions on such topics as definition, and culture specific ethnographic… …   Historical dictionary of shamanism

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