Public Faces, Private Lives: Community and Individuality in South IndiaIndividuality is often viewed as an exclusively Western value. In non-Western societies, collective identities seem to eclipse those of individuals. These generalities, however, have overlooked the importance of personal uniqueness, volition, and achievement in these cultures. As an anthropologist in Tamil Nadu, South India, Mattison Mines found private and public expressions of self in all sectors of society. Based on his twenty-five years of field research, Public Faces, Private Voices weaves together personal life stories, historical description, and theoretical analysis to define individuality in South Asia and to distinguish it from its Western counterpart. This engaging and controversial book will be of great interest to scholars and students working in anthropology, psychology, sociology, South Asian history, urban studies, and political science. |
Contents
Figures and Maps | 1 |
The Nature of Civic Individuality | 31 |
Institutions and Bigmen of a Madras City | 49 |
the Kandasami Temple Entrance Tower 54 5555 | 54 |
Kandasami Temple Processional | 71 |
The North End of Lingi Chetti Street | 72 |
George Town | 84 |
Madras in 1733 | 85 |
Other editions - View all
Public Faces, Private Lives: Community and Individuality in South India Mattison Mines Limited preview - 1994 |
Public Faces, Private Voices: Community and Individuality in South India Mattison Mines No preview available - 1994 |
Common terms and phrases
achieve agraharam association Bala Bala's Balija bank Beeri Chet Beeri Chettiar caste Beeri Chettiar community behavior big-men Brahman British caste community caste maḍam caste's century civic individuality Company constituencies context council culture described dividual Dumont elected eminence endogamy example expressions father father-in-law George Town Beeri goals gumbu guru head trustee headmen Hindu honors HRCE Department identity important Indian society informants institutions intercaste interests Kachaleeswarar temple Kaikkoolar Kanchipuram Kandasami temple Kasi Komati Lakshmi leaders leadership lives locality located Madras City Mannady marriage married Marriott merchants moieties Muthialpet Nagarattars Natarajan Nungambakam offices organization outcasting Park Town Periyagramam person political Poonamallee preeminent prominent reflect relationships reputation responsibility right-hand ritual role Rotaract Royapuram Saroja says self-interest sense Sivakumar social south Indian story Sundaram Tambi Tamil individuality Tamil Nadu Tangavelu temple car temple's Thambu tion told Town Beeri Chettiars trade village Viswanathan women