Pukhtunwali: Ostracism and Honor among the Pathan Hill Tribes

The Pathan Hill tribes (Pakistan) provide an example of the functional role of ostracism in a face-to-face, kin-based society. Pukhtunwali, the code of the Pathans, regulates the uses of ostracism, as a response to the conflict between an individual's desire for freedom & the necessity of t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ethology and sociobiology 1986-01, Vol.7 (3-4), p.147-156
Main Author: Mahdi, Niloufer Qasim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Afghanistan
Pakistan
Social Control
Traditional Societies
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The Pathan Hill tribes (Pakistan) provide an example of the functional role of ostracism in a face-to-face, kin-based society. Pukhtunwali, the code of the Pathans, regulates the uses of ostracism, as a response to the conflict between an individual's desire for freedom & the necessity of tribal unity. The most stiking use of ostracism among the Pathans is the rejection by the tribe or clan of one of its own members whose behavior might lead to feud. If a member of a group has committed an act likely to provoke a reprisal, which may be directed against any individual of that group, the guilty person may be expelled. By ostracizing the person, the group both punishes him & withdraws its support. In Pathan society, ostracism functions simultaneously to deter behavior that violates customary legal norms, to punish specific acts that are culturally defined as improper, & to unify the primary reference group on which individuals depend for protection & economic support. 9 References. HA
ISSN:0162-3095