essay

Agreeing to agree on genealogy: a Luo sociology of knowledge

Sociocultural dimensions of language useNew YorkPublished In 1975 • Pages: 117-135

By: Blount, Ben G..

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This article analyzes the structure of a Luo speech event named 'to count ancestors.' Focusing on a tape recording of a pre-arranged meeting of fifteen elders, the paper identifies major themes and rules governing the interaction of participants. The meeting was meant to produce genealogical information that would fill gaps in establishing genealogical links to clan founders. The elders eventually produced the required information but they did that in an interactional process in which individual initiative and ability was the central factor counting ancestors.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Sociolinguistics
Traditional history
Public lectures
Lineages
Rule of descent
Ethics
Etiquette
Visiting and hospitality
Kin relationships
Status, role, and prestige
Social relationships and groups
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Luo
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2010
RegionThe area the document pertains to
Africa
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Eastern Africa
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
essay
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Anthropologist
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.
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Teferi Abate Adem; 2009
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1967-1971
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
1967-1979
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Luoland, Kenya
NotesAdditional notes
Ben G. Blount
Includes bibliographical references ( p. 134-135)
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
74017974
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Luo (Kenyan and Tanzanian people)