Paul Riesman – Författare

Paul Riesman's Freedom in Fulani Social Life is based upon his two years of residence among the Jelgobe, a group of semi-nomadic Fulani of the Sahel in Upper Volta, western Africa. Since its original publication, this classic study has profoundly influenced the field of anthropology through its re-examination of the enthnographer's personal input on his research. "Freedom in Fulani Social Life richly documents how the ethnographer's own personal and cultural background is implicated in the research process...For this reason, [Riesman's] book will be of paramount interest to all ethnographers."--Philip L. Kilbride, Reviews in Anthropology "A remarkably well-written and insightful account of Fulani life...In addition to using the conventional approaches of participating in and observing the daily activities of the Jelgobe ...Riesman enriches his account by examining his personal feelings about particular incidents."--Library Journal "An interesting and provocative study."--Choice At the time of his death in 1988, Paul Riesman was an anthropologist who taught at Carleton College.

Through a systematic comparison of the life circumstances, child-rearing practices, and personalities of the FulBe and their former slaves, the RiimaayBe, this book develops an alternative theory of the way personality is formed in the Fulani society of West Africa. Riesman discusses the different characters, economies, and life plans of adult men and women of both groups, focusing on their ideas about the value of relatives. He further presents detailed observations of child-rearing practices, and concludes that the FulBe and RiimaayBe do not differ in these practices. Contrasting Fulani and Western notions of parenting, he suggests that child-rearing practices are themselves irrelevant to the formation of adult personality, but that a people's ideas about the meaning of life, social relations, and the development of character are very important. Finally, Riesman outlines a sociocultural theory of personality and its formation, and uses this theory to make sense of the differences between FulBe and RiimaayBe.