Dissertation Research: Sociopolitical Identity in Herero Ritual

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Specialized visual symbols, such as dress, have been used by many peoples to denote rank, status, affiliation, or class in plural societies. While anthropologists have recognized that this is a common way to publicly express social identity, little attention has been paid to why groups develop distinctive styles and how other groups react socially and politically to these developments. This project analyzes recent developments in "National Band" paramilitary groups among the Herero pastoralists of southern Africa. These associations have begun to use Victorian and Westernized military forms of dress as vehicles for the public expression of social identity in resistance rituals. The material culture used in the rituals will be examined in relation to the regional sociopolitical context and transformations in Herero society. This study will enable us to better understand the nonviolent forms of political resistance in Botswana and Namibia used by tribal groups, while demonstrating the dynamics that underlie the relationship between material culture and social identity.