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Christianity and the Economic Transformation of a Melanesian Society UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Feast of water : Christianity and the economic transformation of a Melanesian society Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/31b8t37q Author Schram, Ryan Publication Date 2009 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Feast of Water: Christianity and the Economic Transformation of a Melanesian Society A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology by Ryan Schram Committee in charge: Professor Joel Robbins, Chair Professor Guillermo Algaze Professor Marcel Henaff Professor Mark Machina Professor Rupert Stasch 2009 Copyright Ryan Schram, 2009 All rights reserved The Dissertation of Ryan Schram is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Chair University of California, San Diego 2009 iii Dedication In memory of Donald F. Tuzin iv Table of Contents Signature Page............................................................................................................. iii Dedication.....................................................................................................................iv Table of Contents ..........................................................................................................v List of Tables ............................................................................................................. viii List of Figures...............................................................................................................ix Acknowledgements........................................................................................................x Vita..............................................................................................................................xiv Abstract of the Dissertation ........................................................................................xv Introduction...................................................................................................................1 A Changing Society.....................................................................................................1 An Alternative Modernity............................................................................................7 Structure, Agency and Reflexivity.............................................................................15 Religion and Cultural Change....................................................................................20 The Field Situation ....................................................................................................25 An Outline of the Argument ......................................................................................32 Chapter 1. Memorials of Modernity...........................................................................40 Temporalities of History............................................................................................40 History as a Reflexive Sociality.................................................................................50 Mysterious Legends and Ancient Histories................................................................60 Two Memories of First Contact.................................................................................68 Conclusion ................................................................................................................80 v Chapter 2. Hunger and Plenty....................................................................................88 New Food..................................................................................................................88 Selfishness and Generosity in Social Relationships....................................................92 Selfishness as Change..............................................................................................100 The Gardening System ............................................................................................104 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................126 Chapter 3. Finding Money ........................................................................................131 Awkward Accumulation..........................................................................................131 The Embeddedness of Accumulation.......................................................................134 Gifts as Debts and Helps..........................................................................................144 Family Businesses ...................................................................................................154 Church Fundraising as Accumulation ......................................................................165 Fundraising and Reciprocity....................................................................................177 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................184 Chapter 4. Back to the Village ..................................................................................189 The Last Place.........................................................................................................189 Development as Discipline and Desire.....................................................................193 Time for Tapwalolo.................................................................................................202 Christian Temporality in Community Meetings .......................................................220 A Myth of Development: Makadonia's Town at Pwapwata......................................230 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................237 Chapter 5. Witches' Wealth......................................................................................243 Giving Up Witchcraft..............................................................................................243 vi Witchcraft and Modernity........................................................................................245 Auhelawa Witchcraft and Society............................................................................253 Christianity, Witchcraft and Wealth.........................................................................263 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................275 Chapter 6. Sit, Cook, Eat, Full Stop .........................................................................278 Christian Custom.....................................................................................................278 Auhelawa Society and Religion...............................................................................281 Death in Auhelawa ..................................................................................................282 Christianity and History in Contemporary Auhelawa Feasts ....................................294 The Limits of Masele...............................................................................................308 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................313 Conclusion .................................................................................................................319 Appendix....................................................................................................................333 Notes...........................................................................................................................335 References..................................................................................................................354 vii List of Tables Table 1. Hierarchy of Yam Classifications...................................................................117 Table 2. Percentage of Households Planting Crops in at Least One Garden By Crop ...122 Table 3. Incidence of Foods in Household Daily Consumption by Food ......................123 viii List of Figures Figure 1. A Memorial for an Ancestor of the Lineage at Asa'ila'ila Village..................333 Figure 2. A Yam House...............................................................................................334 ix Acknowledgements Like any dissertation, this project would not have been possible without the support of many people who deserve acknowledgement. My desire to study anthropology and to research cultural change in Papua New Guinea was nurtured and encouraged by my parents Sanford and Joan Schram. They have been vital sources of support during my education, during my fieldwork, and through the development of the dissertation. My brother, Jack, also has been a great friend all along the way. Likewise, I thank the many people in Papua New Guinea who taught me, supported me, and who made my research possible through
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