9783593396101
Distributed for Campus Verlag
People at the Well
Kinds, Usages and Meanings of Water in a Global Perspective
People at the Well investigates habits, practices, and meanings of water through case studies from around the world. With its wide range and impressive diversity, this volume points to water practices in different cultures and shows that water is much more than a commodity, a resource, or a substance—it is a focal point of meanings and practices and thereby reflects culture as such. By providing close scrutiny, the contributors explore and discover the fundamental differences and dynamics of various water-related practices and cultural phenomena.
316 pages | 73 color plates, 7 halftones, 6 tables | 5 1/2 x 8 3/8 | © 2012
Anthropology: Cultural and Social Anthropology
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Karlheinz Cless and Hans Peter Hahn
Water as substance and meaning: Anthropological perspectives
Hans Peter Hahn
Virtual water and water footprints: Global supply and production chains and their impacts on freshwater resources
Simon Meissner
What is water? Some philosophical considerations
Klaus Ruthenberg
An essay on dew
Jens Soentgen
People at the well: Experiences around water
Karlheinz Cless
Water magic
Richard Wilk
Consumption and production: Changing perceptions of water in northern Ghana
Wolfram Laube
Neglecting the opportunity? Productive water uses for small income generation
Irit Eguavoen
Water makes the difference: The case of South India
Bettina Weiz
Making connections: Accessing water in Mumbai’s settlements
Nikhil Anand
Water in Amazonia
Klaus Hilbert
Water management by divine benevolence along the River Nile: Artificial water reservoirs as pastoral meeting places in the Meroitic Sudan (ca. 350 B.C. to 350 A.D.)
Petra Weschenfelder
Water beliefs and changing times in Nigeria
Emmanuel M. Akpabio
Guarded by the devil: The fear of pollution from wells among the Iraqw of northern Tanzania
Anne-Christina Achterberg-Boness
Figure and Table Credits
Notes of Contributors
Index of Persons and Subjects
Index of Locations
Introduction
Karlheinz Cless and Hans Peter Hahn
Water as substance and meaning: Anthropological perspectives
Hans Peter Hahn
Virtual water and water footprints: Global supply and production chains and their impacts on freshwater resources
Simon Meissner
What is water? Some philosophical considerations
Klaus Ruthenberg
An essay on dew
Jens Soentgen
People at the well: Experiences around water
Karlheinz Cless
Water magic
Richard Wilk
Consumption and production: Changing perceptions of water in northern Ghana
Wolfram Laube
Neglecting the opportunity? Productive water uses for small income generation
Irit Eguavoen
Water makes the difference: The case of South India
Bettina Weiz
Making connections: Accessing water in Mumbai’s settlements
Nikhil Anand
Water in Amazonia
Klaus Hilbert
Water management by divine benevolence along the River Nile: Artificial water reservoirs as pastoral meeting places in the Meroitic Sudan (ca. 350 B.C. to 350 A.D.)
Petra Weschenfelder
Water beliefs and changing times in Nigeria
Emmanuel M. Akpabio
Guarded by the devil: The fear of pollution from wells among the Iraqw of northern Tanzania
Anne-Christina Achterberg-Boness
Figure and Table Credits
Notes of Contributors
Index of Persons and Subjects
Index of Locations