The dialectics of secret society power in states

the long version

The Dialectics of Secret Society Power in States explores a fascinating problem neglected by social science for many years, the political role of secret societies in state systems. Through a comparative study of secret society activity in five states, this book provides a penetrating analysis of the dynamics of state-secret society power relations. The five states and corresponding secret societies presented in this study are: Liberia (Poro and Sande), Ottoman Turks (Bektashi), Ching China (White Lotus), Malaysia (Triad), and South Africa (Broederbond). Unique to this book is the portrayal of secret societies as organizations responsive to the conflicts generated by structural contradictions within state systems and the larger social systems of which states are integral units. Unlike earlier studies of secret orders that provide largely descriptive accounts of secret organizations and their rituals, The Dialectics of Secret Society Power in States clearly identifies the nature of the conflicts in which secret societies are involved and shows how this involvement impacts on the secret order and its power relations with the state. This study also presents an integrated theoretical assessment of secret societies as both products of, as well as forces for, sociopolitical change. It will be of particular interest to political anthropologists and political sociologists, as well as those studying social and revolutionary movements in Asia and Africa.