The Festive State: Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism as Cultural Performance

Rating:
Summary: "A groundbreaking experiment in multi-site ethnography"
Review: This study looks at three distinct Venezuelan festivals: the Afro-Venezuelan celebration of San Juan, the neo-Indian "Day of the Monkey," and the mestizo ritual of Tamunague. The study also highlights the policies of a multinational British tobacco company and analyzes that company's role in promoting folk culture and community celebrations in Venezuela. While Venezuela is the main focus, many of Guss's findings are relevant to the study of festivals worldwide. This book represents a groundbreaking experiment in multi-site ethnography. The author's detailed and engaging descriptions will be of great interest to anthropologists, folklorists, and Latin Americanists.

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