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The Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics is an institute of the German Max Planck Society. Our mission is to undertake basic research into the psychological,social and biological foundations of language. The goal is to understand how our minds and brains process language, how language interacts with other aspects of mind, and how we can learn languages of quite different types.

The institute is situated on the campus of the Radboud University. We participate in the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, and have particularly close ties to that institute's Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging. We also participate in the Centre for Language Studies. A joint graduate school, the IMPRS in Language Sciences, links the Donders Institute, the CLS and the MPI.

 
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Exploring ritual communication

Gunter Senft (MPI for Psycholinguistics and University of Cologne) and Ellen Basso (University of Arizona) have recently published an anthology on ritual communication. The volume examines how people create and express meaning through verbal and non-verbal ritual. 'A benchmark work in the exploration of ritual communication', according to Professor Emeritus Richard Bauman (Indiana University).

Exploring ritual communication

Nov 26, 2009

Ritual communication extends beyond collective religious expression. It is an intrinsic part of everyday interactions, ceremonies, theatrical performances, shamanic chants, political demonstrations and rites of passage. The work draws on a wide range of contemporary cultures -- from Africa, America, Asia, and the Pacific -- to present a rich and diverse study for students and scholars of Anthropology, Sociology and Sociolinguistics.

Inspiring conference

'This book is the outcome of a Wenner-Gren conference on ritual communication in Portugal in 2007, which lasted for a week', says Gunter Senft, one of the organisers. 'It was one of the most inspiring and intellectually challenging conferences I have ever attended! The volume manages to reflect this stimulating atmosphere and the various approaches to give us a more comprehensive understanding of this classic anthropological subject.'  

'The richness of the essays makes the volume a true delight to read', states Richard Bauman. 'The analytical rigour that the authors bring to bear in their case studies sheds clear light on the complex relations between discursive form, social function, cultural meaning, and personal experience in ritual semiosis.'

More information: gunter.senft@mpi.nl

Last checked 2010-09-01 by myrna tinbergen

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