article
Khmer kinship: the matriliny/matriarchy myth
Journal of anthropological research • 51 (3) • Published In 1995 • Pages: 247-261
By: Ledgerwood, Judy.
Abstract
This document argues against early ethnographic claims that Khmer society in the distance past was organized along matrilineal principles. It shows that this claim was the product of evolutionary paradigms that sought to reconstruct the history of Khmer by drawing only on the geneological records of priestly families and lineages of sucessive kings. By shifting the focus of analysis on broadly used kinship terminologies and social relations among ordinary people, the document demonstrates that Khmer kinship system was not matrilineal at all. It was instead a very flexible system that assumed many patterns over the years. In doing so, the documents also deconstructs earlier workers which claimed that women in Khmer society wielded more power than men in decision making.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2012
- Region
- Asia
- Sub Region
- Southeast Asia
- Document Type
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Anthropologist
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Teferi Abate Adem; 2012
- Field Date
- 1991
- Coverage Date
- 1950-1995
- Coverage Place
- Cambodia
- Notes
- Judy L. Ledgerwood
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 259-261)
- LCCN
- 73645054
- LCSH
- Khmers