article
The non-localized descent group in traditional China
Ethnology • 18 (1) • Published In 1979 • Pages: 17-29 P.
By: Woon, Yuen-fong.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This study examines lineage histories in a southern Chinese county to test two alternative theories on the origins of high-order, non-localized descent groups. One theory stipulates that high-order lineages rise from segmentation, usually due to population growth and pressure on the land. Groups of agnates then move to new locations but remain a member of the larger ancestral group. The alternative theory proposed is that various disparate lineages fuse together for defensive purposes to form a larger aggregate. The findings suggest that the history of these particular lineages reveals both processes of segmentation and aggregation.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Retail marketing
- Highways and bridges
- Lineages
- Clans
- Districts
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Han Chinese
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Asia
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- East Asia
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Ian Skoggard; 2021
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- not applicable
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1230-1940
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Hoi-p'ing county, Kwandung province, China
- NotesAdditional notes
- Yuen-fong Woon
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 29)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 64005713
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- China--Social life and customs