The movement: Two views

Paul Ormonde, The Movement, Thomas Nelson (Aust.), Melbourne, 1972, pp. xxiii + 198, $5.95.     

The history of cultural anthropology: Two views

Elvin J. Hatch. Theories of Man and Culture. New York: Columbia University Press, 1973. viii + 384 pp. References and index. $12.00.

Paul J. Bohannan and Mark Glazer, eds. High Points in Anthropology. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1973. xix + 449 pp. References. $6.95.     

The origin and evolution of the concept of mixin (superstition): A review of May Fourth scientific views

ABSTRACT

This article explores the evolving connotations of the concept of “superstition” up to the establishment of “superstition studies,” in an examination of the process of secularization experienced by early modern Chinese thought under the impact of Western science. In traditional texts, the Chinese term mixin (迷信, literally “delusional beliefs”), modernly translated as“superstition,” carries diverse and variable meanings: aside from referring to the proper or improper content of ideas and beliefs, mixin also has political connotations, broadly referring to beliefs or behaviors differing from the official rituals. On an ideological level, the traditional concept of mixin refers to a category of thought opposed to Confucian concepts such as the cosmology of Heaven, Earth, and Man, or the idea that “for a man to sacrifice to a spirit which does not belong to him is flattery.” In the late Qing Dynasty, as the idea of “superstition” as opposed to “science” was introduced via Japan, the traditional connotations of mixin evaporated, and it merged with other neologisms. From the late Qing to the early Republic, the parameters of “superstition” were expanded to encompass anything at odds with “reason.” This was also a reflection of China’s shift from the “Classical Age” to the “Age of Science,” as Confucian concepts and scientific ideas successively served as the criteria for judging “superstition.” As of the present, a consensus has yet to be reached on how to distinguish between “religion” and “superstition.” This paper shall seek to clarify the connotations of mixin or “superstition” in different contexts and their connection to the changing times, which may aid in understanding the complex facets of this issue.     

Five views of Kypseli

Susannah Hoffman, Richard Cowan and Paul Aratow. Kypseli: Women and Men Apart—A Divided Reality. 16mm film, color, sound, 44 minutes. Purchase S425. Rental $40. Distributed by the University Extension Media Center, University of California, Berkeley.     

Three views of New Guinea

Peter Hastings, New Guinea: Problems and Prospects, A.I.I.A.‐Cheshire, Melbourne, 1969, pp. 320, $3.50.

John Ryan, The Hot Land, Macmillan, Melbourne, 1969, pp. 390, $5.95.

Maslyn Williams, In One Lifetime, Cheshire, Melbourne, 1970, pp. 72, $4.95.     

Common misperceptions: the press and Victorian views of crime

After a string of successes in the early nineteenth century, the Victorian movement to reform criminal punishment began to falter. Despite evidence to the contrary, the populace grew convinced that violent crime was on the rise. A frequency analysis of The Times and The Manchester Guardian suggests that this misperception was due to a drastic increase in crime coverage by the periodicals of the day.     

The central Andes: Past perspectives and present views

Masuda, Shozo, ed. Contribuciones a los Estudios de los Andes Centrales. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press, 1984. vi + 405 pp. including bibliography. [no price] paper.

Stein, William W., ed. Peruvian Contexts of Change. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Books, 1985. x + 400 pp. $29.95 cloth.     

Changing views of women in society, 1975

Ernestine Friedl. Women and Men: An Anthropologist's View. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1975. xi + 148 pp. Illustrations, map, references, and relevant case studies. $3.50 (paper).

M. Kay Martin and Barbara Voorhies. The Female of the Species. New York and London: Columbia University Press, 1975. x + 432 pp. Tables, figures, illustrations, references, and index. $15.00 (cloth), $6.50 (paper).

Evelyn Reed. Woman's Evolution: From Matriarchal Clan to Patriarchal Family. New York: Pathfinder Press, 1975. xviii + 491 pp. Glossary, Bibliography, and index. $15. (cloth), $4.95 (paper).     

Throwing and human evolution

Ability to throw was probably achieved at an early stage in human evolution but has received little scholarly attention. Although this ability is poorly developed in apes, anatomical studies suggest that the hand ofAustralopithecus afarensis was adapted to throw with precision and force. Archaeological evidence and early ethnographic observations are cited in order to demonstrate the importance of the throwing skill in human evolution.

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Résumé La capacité de lancer a probablement paru assez tôt au cours de l'évolution humaine, mais les savants y ont accordé peu d'attention. Bien que cette habileté soit peu dévelopée parmi les grands singes, des études anatomiques suggèrent que la main d'Australopithecus afarensis était adaptée à lancer avec précision et force. L'auteur cite les indices archéologiques et les anciennes observations ethnographiques afin de démontrer l'importance dans l'évolution humaine de cette capacité de lancer des objets.

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L'arme dont on s'est le plus souvent servi est peutêtre celle dont on a le moins parlé, sur laquelle on a le moins écrit (Florance 1909:52)