Summary
Philip and Iona Mayer are among the leading anthropologists to have worked in South Africa. To honour their work, this fiftieth issue of African Studies comprises twelve articles all dealing with the Mayers' central theme: the role of tradition for people coping with social change.
Summary
Philip Mayer, author of Townsmen and Tribesmen, is one of the most outstanding anthropologists to have worked in South Africa. To honour his work and that of his wife Iona (his most valued academic collaborator), this fiftieth issue of African Studies comprises twelve articles from some of South Africa's leading academics. Among them is the last article to have been written by Dr David Webster before his assassination. to changes in their social environment. In particular, they examine the importance of tradition for those coping with the trauma of social transition. This theme has been central to the work of the Mayers and its topicality, not only in South Africa, means that it is the focus of much contemporary anthropological attention.
![Cover image for Tradition and transition in Southern Africa : festschrift for Philip and Iona Meyer [i.e. Mayer]](/client/assets/5.725/ctx//client/images/no_image.png "Cover image for Tradition and transition in Southern Africa : festschrift for Philip and Iona Meyer [i.e. Mayer]")