Ideology and social inequality in the Tongan kinship system

[...]inequality may exist between societies as a whole, e.g. at a global level between western and non-western societies. [...]all sorts of interconnections may exist between the different levels and domains of social inequality. Subsequently, the same rules which apply to ego's brothers and si...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde land- en volkenkunde, 1988-01, Vol.144 (4), p.445-463
Main Author: Grijp, Paul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brothers
Children
Cousins
Cultural anthropology
Fathers
Field study
Funerals
Households
Ideology
Inequality
Interpersonal relationships
Kinship
Mothers
Polynesian languages
Polynesian studies
Social inequality
Society
Sons
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Summary:[...]inequality may exist between societies as a whole, e.g. at a global level between western and non-western societies. [...]all sorts of interconnections may exist between the different levels and domains of social inequality. Subsequently, the same rules which apply to ego's brothers and sisters apply to the father and mother of ego: father's eldest sister, the mehekitanga, has the highest status, next follow.his younger sisters, and then, also in order of age, come the brothers. [...]mother's brother, the tu'asina, in this system has the lowest status.7 The status of ego's uncles and aunts is transferred to their children, irrespective of their age and sex (cf. [...]degree and more remote female cousins are referred to as fa'a, according to Bott (1958/9). In spite of their higher status, women are mostly excluded from inheritances, as here the principles of patrilineality and primogeniture are in force. [...]with respect to the inheritance of the house and land it is the boy, at least the eldest son, who has power, though he has to wait until his father is aged or deceased.
ISSN:0006-2294
2213-4379
0006-2294
DOI:10.1163/22134379-90003280