Carnaval in Fuenmayor: Class Conflict and Social Cohesion in an Andalusian Town

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Abstract
This paper provides empirical evidence from southern Spain to corroborate Coser's (1956) hypothesis that in-group conflict can have "group-binding" consequences. It shows how ritualized aggression during the festival of Carnaval intensifies class consciousness and group cohesiveness among the working-class element in an Andalusian town. The ultimate objective, however, goes beyond confirming the theory of eufunctional conflict. The paper also demonstrates that the social processes of Carnaval have a secondary effect on the town's class system: Carnaval coincides with an intensification of class conflict. The point of this dual analysis is to illustrate that a functional interdependence exists between behavior within class and behavior among classes, and to urge that greater attention be paid to class dynamics in the anthropological study of communities in complex society.

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