Not Just Child's Play: Emerging Tradition and the Lost Boys of Sudan (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781604734157)

Winner of the 2008 Chicago Folklore Prize

Felicia R. McMahon breaks new ground in the presentation and analysis of emerging traditions of the "Lost Boys," a group of parentless youths who fled Sudan under tragic circumstances in the 1990s. With compelling insight, McMahon analyzes the oral traditions of the DiDinga Lost Boys, about whom very little is known. Her vibrant ethnography provides intriguing details about the performances and conversations of the young DiDinga in Syracuse, New York. It also offers important insights to scholars and others who work with refugee groups.

The author argues that the playful traditions she describes constitute a strategy by which these young men proudly position themselves as preservers of DiDinga culture and as harbingers of social change rather than as victims of war. Drawing ideas from folklore, linguistics, drama, and play theory, the author documents the danced songs of this unique group. Her inclusion of original song lyrics translated by the singers and descriptions of conversations convey the voices of the young men. Well researched and carefully developed, this book makes an original contribution to our understanding of refugee populations and tells a compelling story at the same time.

Author: Felicia R. McMahon
ISBN-10: 1604734159
ISBN-13: 9781604734157
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Language: English
Published: 06/16/2009
Pages: 228
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.55d