{"product_id":"asiwinarong-ethos-image-and-social-power-among-the-usen-barok","title":"Asiwinarong: Ethos, Image, and Social Power among the Usen Barok","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review of Asiwinarong: Ethos, Image, and Social Power among the Usen Barok of New Ireland, the reviewer finds a solid ethnographic study aimed at scholars, graduate students, and readers with a serious interest in Pacific anthropology. Professor Roy Wagner's account centers on the men's-house feasting cycle and the kaba, the culminating death feast invoked by the term asiwinarong, and this focus makes the book valuable for anyone studying leadership succession, ritual practice, or ethical claims in small-scale societies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFocused ethnography:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book offers a sustained, detailed examination of the Usen Barok men's-house feasting cycle, which clarifies how ritual practice structures social life.\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eConceptual emphasis:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wagner foregrounds the kaba or death feast and the term asiwinarong to show how leadership succession is symbolically tied to ethical precedence among the Barok.\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHistorical reissue:\u003c\/strong\u003e Originally published in 1986 and reissued by the Princeton Legacy Library, the edition preserves the original text for continued scholarly access.\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccessible format:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Princeton Legacy Library reprint uses print-on-demand technology to make this out-of-print work available in durable paperback and hardcover formats.\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAnthropological insight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wagner's analysis situates ritual events within broader social claims, useful for comparative studies in cultural and ethnic studies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis volume is best for academic readers: anthropologists, graduate students, and scholars in cultural and ethnic studies who need a rigorous case study on ritual, leadership succession, and social power in Melanesia. It is also useful for libraries building collections in Indigenous and Native American studies focused on Pacific island societies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReaders seeking a general audience introduction to New Ireland or a heavily illustrated field guide should look elsewhere, as the work is an analytic ethnography that assumes familiarity with anthropological concepts and interest in detailed ritual description.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eProvides an in-depth, focused study of the men's-house feasting cycle that illuminates social structure and ritual meaning.\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eClarifies the symbolic role of the kaba and the term asiwinarong in leadership succession and ethical claims.\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eThe Princeton Legacy Library reissue restores access to an important out-of-print scholarly text in a durable edition.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eThe book's scholarly tone and narrow focus may be challenging for non-specialist readers seeking broader context or visual material.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAsiwinarong: Ethos, Image, and Social Power among the Usen Barok\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRoy Wagner\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSubject\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEthnography of the Usen Barok, New Ireland\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFocus\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMen's-house feasting cycle and the kaba (death feast)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOriginal publication\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1986\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEdition\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePrinceton Legacy Library reissue (print-on-demand)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIntended audience\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScholars, graduate students, cultural studies readers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAsiwinarong is a worthwhile purchase for readers who need a focused, conceptually rich ethnography of ritual and leadership among the Usen Barok; its preservation in the Princeton Legacy Library makes it a good value for academic libraries and serious students seeking a primary analytic account of the kaba and succession practices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes this edition preserve the original text?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes, the Princeton Legacy Library reissue preserves the original 1986 text while making it available again via print-on-demand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the central topic of the book?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe book centers on the men's-house feasting cycle and the kaba, using the concept of asiwinarong to explore leadership succession and ethical precedence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho benefits most from reading this work?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnthropologists, graduate students, and researchers in cultural and ethnic studies will get the most value from the detailed ethnographic analysis.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Roy Wagner","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48223335940315,"sku":"0691610924","price":53.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/41RoCtVhOSL._SL1360.jpg?v=1770276069","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/asiwinarong-ethos-image-and-social-power-among-the-usen-barok","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}