Being in charge: Older women and their younger female kin

Our cross-cultural study of the relationship between older women and their younger female kin examines women's hierarchies based on age and focuses on the exercise of authority by women, when such authority is traditional and accepted. Data were collected for two world-wide samples each consist...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of cross-cultural gerontology 1994-04, Vol.9 (2), p.231-254
Main Authors: Brown, J K, Subbaiah, P, Sarah, T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Crosscultural Analysis
Extended Family
Family Relations
Hierarchy
Intergenerational Relations
Social Status
Women
Womens Roles
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Summary:Our cross-cultural study of the relationship between older women and their younger female kin examines women's hierarchies based on age and focuses on the exercise of authority by women, when such authority is traditional and accepted. Data were collected for two world-wide samples each consisting of 30 societies, varying in complexity, subsistence base, geographic location, and in customs related to women's lives. Three hypotheses were tested. The findings, which are statistically significant, suggest that the relationships between older women and their younger female kin are patterned and predictable, determined by the role of women in subsistence activities, by rules for post-marital residence, and by descent.
ISSN:0169-3816
1573-0719
DOI:10.1007/BF00972152