Alur Society. A Study in Processes and Types of Domination
by: Southall, Aidan W.

Hardcover. Cambridge UK, W. Heffer & Sons, 1st, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Good, Hardcover in a lightly worn and soiled dust jacket. 395 pages, b&w illustrations, charts. Alur Society became a classic for a number of reasons. Being much more than a descriptive account of an African society, it was the first intensive ethnography to adopt the ideas of Max Weber. It pioneered the idea that religion and ritual could be the basis of political action. It also showed how state systems could evolve not just on the basis of conquest but as a result of societies without kings inviting those with kings to govern them. Southall's theory of the segmentary state was adopted by many political anthropologists and political scientists, being applied not just to Africa but also to India and other parts of the world. Previous owner's signature inside front cover otherwise clean.