Ethnographies of Moral Reasoning : Living Paradoxes of a Global Age

These Astute Essays Describe The Way Ordinary People Value Human Relationships And Reason Through The Commonplace Contradictions Of Their Local Way Of Life In A Global Age, Rather Than Measure The Actions Of Their Subjects As Evidence Of Either Universal Rationality Or Shared Cultural Beliefs. Each Contributor Conveys The Ways In Which People Challenge The Ascribed Moral Standards Of Custom, Religious Belief, Bureaucratic Policies Through Passionate Words Such As Anecdotes, Joke, Rumors, And Gossip. By Evaluating Moral Reasoning At A Local Level, Contributors Work To Answer The Question, What Is A Good Life. Residence : Moral Reasoning In A Common Place : Paradoxes Of A Global Age / Karen Sykes -- Privatization : Jokes, Scandal, And Absurdity In A Time Of Rapid Change / Catherine Alexander -- Charity : Conversations About Need And Greed / Soumhya Venkatesan -- Custom : The Limits Of Reciprocity In Village Resettlement / Keir Martin -- Corruption : Insights Into Combating Corruption In Rural Development / Alpa Shah -- Fakes : Fraud, Value-anxiety, And The Politics Of Sincerity / Susanne Brandtstädter -- Sacra : Rumors About The Moral Force Of Ritual Objects As Public Art / Karen Sykes -- After Words : From Ethos To Pathos / C.a. Gregory. Edited By Karen Sykes. This Collection Of Essays Is The Product Of A Series Of Workshops Over A Long Period Where The Organizing Themes Were Debated And Modified And Drafts Of The Articles Discussed And Revised--p. [189]. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 Notes on Contributors 10 Part 1 An Introduction to the Ethnography of Moral Reasoning 12 1 Residence: Moral Reasoning in a Common Place—Paradoxes of a Global Age 14 Part 2 Valuers and Value: Words on an Uncommon Ground 52 2 Privatization: Jokes, Scandal, and Absurdity in a Time of Rapid Change 54 3 Charity: Conversations about Need and Greed 78 Part 3 Contestations of the Standards of Value 102 4 Custom: The Limits of Reciprocity in Village Resettlement 104 5 Corruption: Insights into Combating Corruption in Rural Development 128 Part 4 Subaltern Reason, Moral Ambiguity, and Paradoxes of Value 148 6 Fakes: Fraud, Value-Anxiety, and the Politics of Sincerity 150 7 Sacra: Rumors about the Moral Force of Ritual Objects as Public Art 172 Part 5 After Words 198 8 After Words: From Ethos to Pathos 200 Index 214 A 214 B 214 C 214 D 214 E 214 F 215 G 215 H 215 I 215 J 215 K 215 L 215 M 215 N 216 O 216 P 216 Q 216 R 216 S 216 T 217 U 217 V 217 W 217 "These essays describe the way ordinary people value human relationships and reason through the commonplace contradictions of their local way of life in a global age, rather than measure the actions of their subjects as evidence of either universal rationality or shared cultural beliefs. Each contributor conveys the ways in which people challenge the ascribed moral standards of custom, religious belief, and bureaucratic policies through passionate words such as anecdotes, joke, rumors, and gossip. By evaluating moral reasoning at a local level, contributors work to answer the question, what is a good life?"--BOOK JACKET Residence : moral reason in a commonplace : living paradoxes of a global age / Karen Sykes Privatization : jokes, scandal, and absurdity in a time of rapid change? / Katherine Alexander Charity : conversations about need and greed / Soumhya Venkatesan Custom : the limits of reciprocity in village resettlement / Keir Martin Corruption : insights into "combating corruption" in rural development / Alpa Shah Fakes : frauds, value-anxiety and the politics of sincerity / Susanne Brandtstadter Sacra : sorcery rumours about the misuse of ritual as public art / Karen Sykes After words : from ethos to pathos / C.A. Gregory. Rather than measure the actions of their subjects by reference to either universal rationality or cultural relativism, contributors in this volume describe ordinary people as they value human relationships and reason through the commonplace contradictions of their local way of life in a global age.