Communitas : The Anthropology of Collective Joy

Communitas is inspired fellowship; a group's pleasure in sharing common experiences; being 'in the zone'- as in music, sport, and work; the sense felt by a group when their life together takes on full meaning. The experience of Communitas, almost beyond strict definition and with almost endless variations, often appears unexpectedly. In concrete circumstances, it may be found when people engage in a collective task with full attention. They may find themselves "in flow," experiencing a merging of action and awareness. This book is an opportunity for readers to get a purchase on its elusive nature, with classifications grouped into scenes in everyday life, in history, and in nature. How does Communitas relate to the field of mainstream anthropology? Turner argues that good anthropology rests on humanism - that is, respect for the ideas and religions of other cultures and, where possible, the willingness to experience through the eyes of others. Analysis therefore must take into consideration local exegesis (interpretation), and local statements of experience. We may look upon these experiential moments as crossing points into a culture's familiar world of the spirits.