Abstract
Ménard investigates the transformations of the Poro secret society in a context of migration and the way these reflect and inform dynamics of social change. The chapter explores the resilience of Poro among Sherbros in Sierra Leone, in a region that has recently attracted a large population of migrants. Relations between Sherbros and migrants are grounded in the use of the host–stranger sociocultural idiom, which regulates social obligations between groups and implies the incorporation of migrants into local communities through Poro initiation. As migrants increasingly refuse initiation, the place of Poro in the political and cultural domains is being renegotiated. The chapter demonstrates that while the Poro society becomes progressively disconnected from local politics, it takes on renewed importance within the religious and cultural spheres.
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Ménard, A. (2017). Poro Society, Migration, and Political Incorporation on the Freetown Peninsula, Sierra Leone. In: Højbjerg, C., Knörr, J., Murphy, W. (eds) Politics and Policies in Upper Guinea Coast Societies. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95013-3_2
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