1
Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran
2
Department of Anthropology, University of Tehran
10.22059/jsr.2025.381760.1998
Abstract
Victor Turner is a prominent figure in the British school of anthropology, yet his work represents a departure from British structural functionalism. Moving beyond the dominant paradigms of British anthropology, he engaged with transatlantic approaches that emphasized cultural dimensions over purely social ones. Through a dynamic interplay between field experience and theory, Turner developed a theoretical model that integrated elements from both British and American anthropology while remaining distinct from either. From this perspective, his work can be interpreted as embodying a "liminal" position or "transition," a concept central to his thought. His focus on social breaches and the processes through which these breaches lead to either reintegration or schism forms the core of his theory of social drama, which is rooted in ritual analysis as a mechanism of change. This article explores the origins, historical context, and evolution of Turner’s ethnographic methods, highlighting the interaction between fieldwork and theory in shaping his ideas. It also examines how this interplay enhances our understanding of breaches and transformations in societies undergoing crises.
Sarafraz, Y. and Arabestani, M. (2025). Ethnography of Social Transition: Victor Turner and The Procedure of Reintegration and Schism. Sociological Review, 31(2), 7-31. doi: 10.22059/jsr.2025.381760.1998
MLA
Sarafraz, Y. , and Arabestani, M. . "Ethnography of Social Transition: Victor Turner and The Procedure of Reintegration and Schism", Sociological Review, 31, 2, 2025, 7-31. doi: 10.22059/jsr.2025.381760.1998
HARVARD
Sarafraz, Y., Arabestani, M. (2025). 'Ethnography of Social Transition: Victor Turner and The Procedure of Reintegration and Schism', Sociological Review, 31(2), pp. 7-31. doi: 10.22059/jsr.2025.381760.1998
CHICAGO
Y. Sarafraz and M. Arabestani, "Ethnography of Social Transition: Victor Turner and The Procedure of Reintegration and Schism," Sociological Review, 31 2 (2025): 7-31, doi: 10.22059/jsr.2025.381760.1998
VANCOUVER
Sarafraz, Y., Arabestani, M. Ethnography of Social Transition: Victor Turner and The Procedure of Reintegration and Schism. Sociological Review, 2025; 31(2): 7-31. doi: 10.22059/jsr.2025.381760.1998
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