Choiseul Island Social StructureChoiseul Island Social Structure offers a comprehensive exploration of the social organization and cultural practices of Choiseul Island in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, primarily focusing on the Yarisi area. Based on extensive fieldwork conducted over 18 months between 1958 and 1961, this anthropological study reconstructs the societal framework as it was around 1900, offering insights into both past traditions and their lingering influences on the present. By examining the continuity and changes in Choiseulese society, the author navigates complex issues like the interplay of historical narratives, cultural norms, and lived experiences. The book also tackles the challenges of studying non-unilineal or ambilateral kin groups, offering a detailed analysis of how such societies manage overlapping genealogical networks and maintain discrete social groupings. This scholarly work critically addresses theoretical debates about descent, kinship, and social processes, aiming to link cultural ideologies with real-world social actions. By redefining terminologies and methodologies, the study sheds light on the "cognatic descent problem" and contributes significantly to anthropological discussions on descent groups in the Pacific. With its careful synthesis of historical and contemporary data, the book not only provides a vivid portrayal of Choiseulese social life but also advances broader understandings of kinship systems and social dynamics. It is an invaluable resource for anthropologists, historians, and anyone interested in the complexities of Pacific Island cultures. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1965. Many titles in the Voices Revived program are also newly available as ebooks, offered at a discounted price to support wider access to scholarly work. |
Contents
| 1 | |
The Ideological Structure | 39 |
Some Aspects of DescentGroup Structure and Operation | 110 |
Intergroup Relations | 179 |
Ghosts Gods and Groups | 240 |
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Common terms and phrases
acquired actions activities affinal agnatic status allegiances ally apical ancestor Australian pounds Babatana bangara batu big-man branch brideprice chap Choiseul Choiseul Island Choiseulese society claims coconuts cognatic descent category conflict coöperation debts descent group descent-group affiliation descent-group members dispute dogma exchanges fact father formal Gabili gardens Gatavae group members groves idiom important instance intergroup KANAE kelo kesa Kesi killed kinship kinsmen Kubongava land later least living Lokuru maintain major sinangge mamae manager manuru married Melanesian membership mission Monggo mother's Nggisonggiso norms obligations offense one's onotona parents particular party past patrilineal perhaps persons Pinggolo political Ponggevolomo possible prestige primary RAVANGGU refer relations relationship relatively residence sanctions secondary members siblings Singgotu Sirosengga situation social structure sometimes sorcery spouses tabo tamazira marriage Tanavalu Tanito taro Tepazaka tion transactions truncal segment TUNGGU unit usually Varisi Varisi region VAVAE Vella Lavella vengeance village Votuae Zale