article
Emic structure and decision-making in Yap
Ethnology • 16 (4) • Published In 1977 • Pages: 331-352
By: Lingenfelter, Sherwood G..
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
In this paper, Lingenfelter constructs an emic model of decision-making for the Yap culture. He first examines Yapese cosmology and notions of purity and pollution. He notes the symbolic oppositions in Yap beliefs, such as those between spirits-humans, males-females, estates-subsibs, and elders-children, and identifies the reciprocal transactions that mediate between them. From these oppositions and transactions, he postulates formal transformational rules, which he argues form the basis of more specific emic rules regarding the structure of Yapese universe, estates, and households. He then examines the behavior in yam gardens to test his propositions. In his conclusion he argues that emic models help to explain situational behavior in terms of longstanding normative relationships.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Theoretical orientation in research and its results
- Fishing
- Vegetable production
- Real property
- Labor and leisure
- Status, role, and prestige
- Social relationships and groups
- Cosmology
- Purification and atonement
- Status and treatment of the aged
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Yapese
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2000
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Oceania
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Micronesia
- 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
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Ian Skoggard ; 2005
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1970-1971
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1970-1971
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia
- NotesAdditional notes
- Sherwood G. Lingenfelter
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 351-352)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 64005713
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Yapese (Micronesian people)/Yap (Micronesia)