essay

The community house of the Lamet

compass for fields afar: essays in social anthropology, by karl gustav izikowitzGöTeborg, Sweden • Published In 1985 • Pages: 139-189

By: Izikowitz, Karl Gustav.

Abstract
Rmeet (Lamet) villages typically include a centrally located communal house in which all men—whether married adults, dependent elders, or young bachelors—are expected to spend a considerable part of their time when not farming. This essay describes the rhythm of daily life in men’s houses. The author raises questions about the origin of institutionalized physical segregation of men and women in Rmeet and other cultures with functionally similar community houses. A favored explanation links the evolution of communal houses not so much to cultural variations in gender-based division of labor as to the degree of public display in ceremonies related to village cults.
Subjects
Community structure
Settlement patterns
Dwellings
Public structures
Outbuildings
Tillage
Annual cycle
Division of labor by gender
General character of religion
Cult of the dead
Organized ceremonial
Prayers and sacrifices
Sacred objects and places
Avoidance and taboo
Hunting and trapping
culture
Rmeet
Region
Asia
Sub Region
Southeast Asia
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Anthropologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Teferi Abate Adem
Field Date
May 1937-January 1938
Coverage Date
1937-1938
Coverage Place
Luang Namtha, Oudômxai, and Bokèo provinces, Laos
Notes
Karl Gustav Izikowitz
LCCN
86162478
LCSH
Lamet (Laotian people)