Anxiety and Ritual: The Theories of Malinowski and Radcliffe‐brown

Abstract

Lecture for the year 1939, recently published as a p a m -I phlet u n d e r the title Taboo, Professor A. K . Radcliffe-Brown restates certain of his views o n magic a n d religion.' A t t h e same time, he makes certain criticisms of Professor Malinowski's theories on the subject. T h e appearance of Taboo, therefore, offers t h e anthropologist a n occasion for examining the present s t a t u s of the theory of ritual b y means of a s t u d y of a controversy between what a r e perhaps its two most important experts. Incidentally, the reader will find illustrated a type of behavior common in disputes in t h e world of science.Malinowski's theory of magic is well-known a n d has been widely accepted.2 H e holds t h a t a n y primitive people h a s a body of empirical knowledge, comparable to modern scientific knowledge, as t o t h e behavior of nature a n d t h e means of controlling it t o meet man's needs. T h i s knowledge the primitives apply in a thoroughly practical manner t o get t h e results they desire-a crop of tubers, a catch of fish, a n d so forth. B u t their techniques a r e seldom so powerful t h a t the accomplishment of these results is a m a t t e r of certainty. When the tiller of the soil h a s done the best he c a n t o see t h a t his fields are properly planted a n d tended, a drought or a blight m a y overwhelm him. Under these circumstances the primitives feel a sentim e n t which we call anxiety3 a n d they perform magical rites which they say will insure good luck. These rites give them t h e confidence which allows t h e m to a t t a c k their practical work with energy a n d determination.Malinowski clinches his argument with a n observation made in the course of his field-work:An interesting and crucial test is provided by fishing in the Trobriand Islands and its magic. M'hile in the villagcs on the inner Lagoon fishing is done in an easy and absolutely reliable manner by the method of poisoning, yielding abundant results without danger and uncertainty, there are on the shores of the open sea dangerous modes of fishing and also certain types in which the yield varies greatly according to whether shoals of fish appear beforehand or not. I t is most significant that in the Lagoon fishing, where man can rely completely upon his knowledge and skill, magic

The Coexistence Problem in Psychology, Anthropology, and Evolutionary Theory

“…According to Malinowski [1935Malinowski [ , 1945 and Homans [1941], the explanation lay in perceived risk and uncertainty. On the whole, Trobrianders could be fairly confident that if they planted a sufficient volume of root vegetables and other crops in their fertile soils, they would generally be assured of adequate harvests.…”

Loyalty and the ritualistic consumption of entertainment

“…Tradition may be the key to this resistance to change (Tambiah 1996). Rituals performed for many years tend to become stable over time, thus perpetuating the invariance, while resolving paradox and inconsistency in daily life (d' Aquili and Laughlin 1975;Homans 1941).…”

On Self-regulating Systems, Cannibals, and Cogs That Turn No Wheels: A Response to Joel Sweek

“…Doesn't ritual satisfy needs such as diffusing anxiety? Over fifty years ago, George Homans thought it did and explained ritual accordingly in "Anxiety and ritual" (Homans 1941).If you want a really nice, clear, explicit, and sophisticated functionalist explanation for ritual, without qualifications, here it is. It is also a classic example of what is wrong with functionalism.…”