Melanesian Kinship and Culture

Kin terminology structure and other social and cultural traits cluster in particular ways on a global level, such that “disharmonic” features can be interpreted as retentions of earlier systems, resulting from shifts in key aspects (such as a change from descent reckoning in the male line to the female line). We want to get at ancient patterns of social organisation and culture buried deep under a thick layer of Austronesian influence of much more recent origin. This can be done because in culture, as in language, features typically bundle in particular ways, and a mixed bouquet has a tale to tell. This task is designed to pick out any deviating features in particular societies to try and wrest from them their separate story of the distant past.

Download

Field Manual entry

Melanesian Kinship And Culture (171.01 kB)

Stimulus materials

Melanesian Kinship And Culture questionnaires (52.74 kB)

Recommend this entry

 Email this entry to a colleague