essay

Affines and the rituals of kinship

religion and ritual in chinese society • Stanford, Calif. • Published In 1974 • Pages: 279-307, 358

By: Ahern, Emily M..

Abstract
In contrast with the contradictory findings of other research conducted in Taiwan, Ahern describes rites of betrothal and marriage and relations between affines in a village where wife-givers appear 'distinctly superior' in ritual status to wife-takers' (p. 279). Ahern explains the presiding over of 'rituals of kinship' by powerful affines by their status as outsiders who are believed capable of fostering desirable social changes. Ahern suggests that the authority of affines and the great deference shown them stem from their inherent jural weakness in patrilineal society. Paradoxically, this weakness empowers them to aid those who have taken their daughters in marriage to make necessary transitions from one life-cycle role to another.
Subjects
Place names
Culture summary
Kin relationships
culture
Taiwan Hokkien
HRAF PubDate
1995
Region
Asia
Sub Region
East Asia
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
M. A. Marcus
Field Date
1969-1970
Coverage Date
not specified
Coverage Place
Ch'i-nan village, Taipei hsien, Hai-shan region, Taiwan
Notes
Emily Martin Ahern
Includes bibliography
LCSH
Taiwanese