article

Social change and primitive law: consequences of a Papuan legal case

American anthropologist60 • Published In 1958 • Pages: 832-837

By: Pospisil, Leopold J..

Abstract
This article discusses the consequences of the breaking of an incest taboo by the headman of one of the large Kapauku villages. The eventual acceptance of this marriage by the tribe started a trend toward endogamy and intra-sib marriage and weakening of the ties between the members of the Ijaaj-Pigome confederacy. Encouraged by his success, the headman is also trying to change the settlement pattern of his village and to introduce what amounts to a moiety division. Pospisil concludes the article by discussing the theoretical implications of these changes.
Subjects
Regulation of marriage
Mode of marriage
Clans
Community heads
Sex and marital offenses
Kinship regulation of sex
culture
Kapauku
HRAF PubDate
2019
Region
Oceania
Sub Region
Melanesia
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Timothy J. O'Leary ; 1958
Field Date
1954-1955
Coverage Date
1935-1962
Coverage Place
Kamu Valley, central Highlands, Irian Jaya, Indonesia
Notes
Leopold Pospisil
Includes bibliographical references (p. 837)
LCCN
17015424
LCSH
Kapauku (New Guinea people)