Mal'uocchiu : Ambiguity, Evil Eye, and the Language of Distress / Sam Migliore.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Migliore, Sam, author.

Series:

Anthropological horizons ; 10

Anthropological Horizons

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Evil eye.

Evil eye--Italy--Sicily.

Italy--Sicily.

Genre:

Livres numeriques.

e-books.

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (174 p.)

Place of Publication:

Toronto : University of Toronto Press, [2017]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The evil eye has received considerable attention in the literature of disciplines as diverse as anthropology and medicine. Researchers have attempted to identify and explain this essentially ambiguous and variable phenomenon from a number of perspectives -as a culture-bound syndrome, an idiom of distress, a mechanism of social control, and a representation of psychobiological fear. InMal'uocchiu: Ambiguity, Evil Eye, and the Language of Distress, Sam Migliore shifts the focus of discussion from paradigms to a practical examination of how people use the notion of the evil eye in a variety of sociocultural contexts, particularly in various aspects of Sicilian-Canadian culture and experience. Drawing on the theories of Luigi Pirandello and Ludwig Wittgenstein, Migliore argues that mal'uocchiu, and by implication other folk constructs, is like a character in search of an author to give it 'form' or 'meaning.' The book begins by considering the indeterminate nature of the evil-eye complex. Migliore proposes that this indeterminacy allows people to create myriad alternative meanings and messages to define and make sense of their personal experiences. He then examines how the evil eye relates to Sicilian-Canadian conceptions of health and illness, and discusses treatment and prevention strategies. Throughout the study, the author blends context-setting, case studies, personal recollection, and interpretation to provide readers with an accessible, alternative look at the multifaceted nature of this folk tradition. His position as both an anthropologist and a community 'insider' affords him a unique perspective on the subject. This study will be essential reading for students of medical anthropology, religion, and ethnic studies.

Contents:

""CONTENTS""; ""PREFACE""; ""ACKNOWLEDGMENTS""; ""1 Introduction""; ""Pirandello, Wittgenstein, and the Evil Eye""; ""Representations of the Evil Eye in the Literature""; ""2 The Ethnographic Context""; ""The Research Site: A Geographic and Historical Background""; ""The Fieldwork Experience""; ""3 The Power of Strong Emotions: Constructing the Sicilian-Canadian Evil-Eye Complex""; ""Mal'uocchiu in the Context of Sicilian-Canadian World-View""; ""Etiology, Strong Emotions, and the Illness Process""; ""Diagnostic and Therapeutic Measures""; ""Protecting Oneself against Mal'uocchiu""

""Summary and Discussion: Deconstructing an Image of the Evil Eye""""4 Mal'uocchiu and the Language of Distress""; ""Explanation and Rationale for Taking Action""; ""Illness Narratives and the Experience of Distress""; ""Alterazione: A Healer's Conception of Distress""; ""Discussion""; ""5 Mal'uocchiu in Everyday Experience""; ""The Language of Distress and the Communication of Alternative Messages""; ""Mal'uocchiu, Social Control, and the Language of Argument""; ""Summary: Mal'uocchiu as Metaphor""; ""6 Extending the Web of Significance""

""Mal'uocchiu: Powerful Symbol or Meaningless Chatter?""""Summary""; ""7 Conclusion""; ""Family Resemblance: The Variable Meaning of Mal'uocchiu""; ""Implications for Anthropological Investigation""; ""Epilogue""; ""GLOSSARY OF SICILIAN TERMS AND PHRASES""; ""A""; ""B""; ""C""; ""D""; ""F""; ""G""; ""I""; ""M""; ""N""; ""O""; ""P""; ""S""; ""T""; ""V""; ""Z""; ""NOTES""; ""BIBLIOGRAPHY""; ""INDEX""; ""A""; ""B""; ""C""; ""D""; ""E""; ""F""; ""G""; ""H""; ""I""; ""K""; ""L""; ""M""; ""N""; ""O""; ""P""; ""R""; ""S""; ""T""; ""V""; ""W""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 13. Sep 2017)

ISBN:

1-281-99754-4

9786611997540

1-4426-7694-9

OCLC:

1004886131