Status and sacredness : a general theory of status relations and an analysis of Indian culture
Murray Milner (Author)
Status and Sacredness provides a new theory of status and sacral relationships and a provocative reinterpretation of the Indian caste system and Hinduism. Milner shows how in India and many other social contexts status is a key resource, and that sacredness can be usefully understood as a special form of status. By analysing the nature of this resource Milner is able to provide powerful explanations of the key features of the social structure, culture, and religion. He argues against the widely held view that the Indian caste system is best understood as a unique cultural development, demonstrating that many of the seemingly exotic features are variations on themes common to other societies. Milner's analysis is rooted in a new theoretical framework called "resource structuralism" that helps to clarify the nature and significance of power and symbolic capital. The book thus provides a bold new analysis of India, an innovative approach to the analysis of religion, and an important contribution to social theory
1 online resource (xiii, 336 pages)
9781423738893, 9780195359121, 9781280443688, 1423738896, 0195359127, 1280443685
228117353
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Concepts
3. A Theory of Status Relationships: Key Elements
4. Key Features of Indian Society: What Is to Be Explained
5. Explaining the Key Features of Caste
6. The Social Categories of Traditional India
7. The Articulation of Status and Material Resources: Political and Economic Legitimacy
8. A Theory of Status Relationships: Additional Elements
9. Cultural Codes and Rituals: I
10. Cultural Codes and Rituals: II
11. Status Relations in Marriage Alliances
12. On the Nature of Sacredness
13. The Worship of Gods
14. Salvation and Soteriology
5. EschatologyShow Level 16. Conclusions
Electronic reproduction, [Place of publication not identified], HathiTrust Digital Library, 2010