The Power of Example: Anthropological Explorations in Persuasion, Evocation and Imitation

From evoking explicit imagery to drawing cross–cultural parallels, examples and exemplification play an integral role in anthropological theory and practice. The Power of Example is a curated collection of essays that both explore the evocative and persuasive power of exemplary examples in social life, and analyze exemplification s role in anthropology. The specific case studies included illustrate the pervasive influence of exemplification across global cultures, from Christian typology to Palestinian womanhood. With contributions from established and up–and–coming anthropologists, as well as leading scholars of religious and cultural studies, the collection offers a balanced and original approach to understanding how and why examples are so powerful.

Andreas Bandak is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cross–Cultural and Regional Studies at the University of Copenhagen. Co–editor of Qualitative Analysis in the Making (with Daniella Kuzmanovic, 2014), Dr. Bandak has published articles in an array of prestigious peer–reviewed journals, including Current Anthropology, Ethnos, and Religion and Society. His research focuses on Christian minorities in Syria, where he has done extensive fieldwork in and around Damascus, and he is currently working on effects of the Syrian conflict in Lebanon.

Lars Højer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cross–Cultural and Regional Studies at the University of Copenhagen. He is the project leader of Escalations: A Comparative Ethnographic Study of Accelerating Change , a three–year project funded by the Danish Council for the Independent Research Humanities that includes Dr. Højer s own research on the social, economic, religious,and political aspects of transition processes in urban and rural post–socialist Mongolia. He has published in a number of prominent peer–reviewed journals, including Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Ethnos and Social Anthropology.