Representations of the Ideal as Symbols of Subversion

Abstract

This is a chapter about mythmaking and social change. My interest in this topic stems from a visit I made to India while carrying out research into the origins of voluntary organizations. The stories I heard were inspiring and humbling; stories of people who had been beaten up, had risked poverty, even death. These stories were not only inspiring to me but in many cases had become part of the organizations’ folklore, their sacred texts (Schwabenland 2006a and b).