Simon ottenberg biography

Simon ottenberg biography: Simon Ottenberg was.

This is an anthropological study of boyhood in a group of related Igbo villages called Afikpo, in souteastern Nigeria. About half of the book is taken up with the description and analysis of adolescent initiation rites, providing a close and detailed view of rituals that for the most part have only been touched upon in literature. The work makes use of psychoanalytic theory, with a logic that is grounded in data, blended with traditional cultural anthropological analysis.

The Afikpo initiation rites recall aspects of the rites of birth and other early childhood experiences, and Ottenberg shows how many of these rituals are designed to assist in the transition from one stage to the next. The detail in which he presents his data contributes greatly to our understanding of Afikpo cosmological beliefs and social structure.

The presentation provides important materials for evaluating the interrelationship between adult and boyhood secret societies, making it valuable to scholars of other areas. Boyhood Rituals in an African Society makes a significant contribution to both psychological anthropology and African studies, but it will also be of interest to other scholars concerned with the cross-cultural study of socialization and childhood.

Instructor anthropology, University of Chicago, ; instructor, Washington State College, Pullman, ; from instructor to professor, U. Washington, Seattle, ; professor emeritus, U. Washington, Seattle, since Honorary visiting professor U. Ghana, Lagos,