The image above is subject to copyright.
Copyrights for Photographic Reproduction

Living in society

In folk cultures, it is believed that balance must be achieved for individuals, societies and the natural environment to flourish. Moderation in all things – ethical, religious, ecological, medical – is important in private and public life. The "middle way" is therefore an ambiguous idea. It guarantees social order but also functions as a system of checks and balances against misuse of power.

Being born to the world

The biological process of birth is a time of physical and symbolic vulnerability which calls for intense socialisation. Various propitiatory and prophylactic rites support individuals and their community during childbirth, then during successive transformations of their bodies and social status. These rites of passage are so many cultural "births" involving specific rights, duties, postures and conduct. To keep their place in the hierarchy of living things, human beings must learn to control themselves, to respect and dominate nature as much as they protect themselves from it.