RT Journal Article
T1 Webs of Legitimacy and Discredit: Narrative Capital and Politics of Ritual in a Timor-Leste Community
A1 Alonso Población, Enrique
A1 Fidalgo Castro, Alberto
AB This article explores the interconnections among origin narratives, migration patterns and ritual authority in a Timor-Leste community. By recognising the dimension of rituals as sources of power, we analyse the different ways social actors negotiate their position in social space by either supporting or contesting the legitimacy of the ritual leaders. We suggest how, in a context with historical levels of high migration and immersed in rapid social change, precedence is not only challenged by modern ideals around individual rights and choices, but by the re-interpretation of mythical narratives and the access to ritual performance. The paper provides a discussion of the notion of narrative capital and shows how subordinated classes resulting from development policies from past state regimes articulate new forms of social mobility in the contemporary context of rural Timor-Leste.
PB Taylor & Francis
SN 0066-4677
YR 2014
FD 2014
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/34575
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/34575
LA eng
DS Docta Complutense
RD 28 abr 2024