Conflict as a Path Towards Unity

            Max Gluckman’s ethnographic research on the Zulu peoples of southeast Africa focused on what he called “rituals of rebellion.” He argues that certain rituals, often those that happen at harvest times, are not posing actual conflict with the cultural or political institutions, but rather allow “for instituted protest, and in complex ways renew the unity of the system” (198). In the selection that we read, Gluckman takes Sir James Frazer’s lecture on the rituals in the Zulu community and takes Frazer’s points one step further to consider the social components of these rituals- bringing the analysis into a social anthropology realm. It is an interesting concept that in order to bless an institution or social order, a traditional ritual that seemingly contrasts the established order has to be conducted. It goes against almost all of what we tend to understand to make sense.           

            Conflict is prominent in human life- but usually we think conflict occurs in an attempt of one of the conflicting sides to achieve something or change something. Not often is the point to reaffirm what has already been established. And Gluckman does address this, saying that in societies where class struggles and tendencies for revolution exist, rituals of rebellion have no place (210). He goes further, in his final paragraph, to suggest that “rebellious rituals may perhaps be confined to situations where strong tensions are aroused by conflict between different structural principles, which are not controlled in distinct secular institutions” (214). In other words, rituals of rebellion only occur successfully in societies where tensions exist and are not addressed by other organizational bodies or traditions (i.e. governmental separation of classes, war, etc.).

            In analyzing literature, conflict is always a huge part of the analysis, because it is usually, in one form or another, the reason a story exists. Back in high school when I still took literature classes, I remember discussing the various types of conflict that are exemplified in literature but also exist in reality. The three main types of external conflict (excuse the sexist language that they are described by) are: man vs. man, man vs. society, and man vs. nature. Why am I including this in my discussion of Max Gluckman’s anthropological writing- which is itself not literary? Because- when I was reading this selection, these types of conflict kept coming into my mind because Gluckman describes many of them in his descriptions of the conflicts that rituals of rebellion deal with. Rituals of rebellion, as described by Gluckman, are all about dealing with these conflicts through ritual so that social order can be reaffirmed and revolution does not actually arise.

            Man vs. man: Many of the examples of rituals relate to people and their kings, as described by including the multiple songs that include lyrics like “King, alas your fate, King they reject thee, King they hate thee” (204-205). At the core of reality is competition between men (and women), and so this conflict is prevalent in the Zulu rituals described. (Talk to Charles Darwin if you have doubts about competition).

            Man vs. society: This one, based on the selection, is a tricky one- since rituals of rebellion do not have the intent of actually fighting the society, but rather developing unity as a society by reversing roles. So in the rituals, roles are reversed and the conflict with those societal roles is acknowledged in order to go back to the established order.

            Man vs. nature: Gluckman states that the rituals tend to revolve around harvesting, and are conducted in order to bless the harvest and make the society fruitful and prosperous. Therefore, the entire idea of the rituals are centered on the conflict between humans and the natural world.

            In order to maintain stability in Zulu society, certain rituals of rebellion must occur so that actual rebellion does not, according to Gluckman. In acting out the different types of external conflict, as described by literary theory, the society reestablishes unity, in order to protect against conflict outside of the society. A seemingly contradictory proposal- that acting out conflict actually enforces unity- actually makes sense when thought about more.