Shamanism: An Inquiry into the History of the Scholarly Use of the Term in English‐Speaking North America
Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2006 Peter N. Jones 27 citations
A large-scale archival and database project examined the history of how scholars in English-speaking North America have used the terms shamanism and shaman. Two main findings emerged: current uses of these terms are inadequate for historical discussion, and the terms have been used for over a century by researchers and lay people, with their meanings shifting greatly over time. This change complicates any agreed-upon operational definition. The author concludes that current understandings are unduly limited by historical research orientations and calls for a more concise, workable definition of shamanism.