GS202 Chapter Notes -Social Capital, Spirit Possession
Document Summary
Using experiences as evidence bubandt hopes to prove that spirits can be used as informants in research. Using the possession of ibu lan he demonstrates how multiple personalities can possess one being. Bubandt argues that possession is a learned technique using a medium. By explaining the history of it it makes possession seem like a more practiced procedure and one that has the potential to be recreated. By presenting this as a scientific methodology there is more potential for it to be accepted as proper methodology in the scientific community. One of his key points is that spirits should be treated as informants because the people of tenate do so, this is oversimplifying the issue and taking it at face value. Bubandt doesn"t work to prove why the people do this but simple states this as essentially good enough for him.
