The play of mirrors
Subtitle: the representation of self as mirrored in the other
By: by Sylvia Caiuby Novaes ; translated by Izabel Murat Burbridge.
Edition: 1st University of Texas Press ed.
Series: Translations from Latin America series
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Austin
Language: eng
Number of pages: 177
Subjects: Salesians -- Missions -- Brazil -- Mato Grosso (State); Bororo Indians -- Psychology.; Bororo Indians -- Ethnic identity.; Bororo Indians -- Social conditions.; Self-perception -- Brazil -- Mato Grosso (State); Identity (Psychology) -- Brazil -- Mato Grosso (State)
Description: Focusing on the Bororo people of west-central Brazil, this book addresses the construction of self-identity through interethnic interaction. By presenting the images the Bororo have of themselves as well as the images of others who have interacted with them, Brazilian anthropologist Sylvia Caluby Novaes argues convincingly that Bororo self-images are constructed with the aid of a peculiar looking-glass - it is in the images of others that they see themselves.

Incorporating contributions from psychology, psychoanalysis, linguistics, and semiotics, The Play of Mirrors focuses on symbols, images, discourse, and meanings rather than solely on the problem of acculturation. It thus reflects the thinking of a new generation of Brazilian anthropologists who have shifted their focus from native communities as isolated entities to an examination of their embeddedness within broader national and international arenas.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [155]-162) and index.