The Ilahita Arapesh Dimensions of Unity - djvu

The Ilahita Arapesh: Dimensions of Unity By Donald F. Tuzin
Publisher: Uni..ver..sity of Ca..lifo..rnia Pre..ss 1976 | 416 Pages | ISBN: 0520028600 | DJVU | 3 MB

Turchin discussed the Rise and Fall of empires based on the rise and fall of social cohesion of the empire building nation and the ability or disability to integrate conquered nations as part of the empire. The role of the frontier was especially emphasized by Turchin as kind of generator of social cohesion.
Turchin seems to have been influenced very strongly by Tuzin’s work on Ilahita Arapesh documented e.g. in this book published already 1978. Ilahita is/was a tribal “village empire” of nothern Papua New Guinea. Tuzin discusses thoroughly the mechanisms Ilahita village was using to create strong intra-village social cohesion (despite big size) and the way the Ilahita village created “child villages” out of refugees seeking protection in the Southern Arapesh area. Also the role of the frontier is seen in the same way as Turchin is discussing it almost 30 years later. The role of rituals etc. is discussed.