Book

We, the Tikopia: a sociological study of kinship in primitive Polynesia

George Allen and Unwin, Ltd. • London, England • Published In 1936 • Pages:

By: Firth, Raymond.

Abstract

This is an analysis of the importance of kinship in the regulation of Tikopia life. The interpenetration of kinship with other aspects of culture is pointed out most clearly by the author in his evaluation of the Tikopia regulation of land ownership, sex, and marriage, in the economics of gift-giving, and in the rites associated with initiation and death. Personal relationships and patterns of behavior between members of families and kindred groups are given close attention. Co-operative activities following kinship lines are explained, and the whole economy of the island is shown to be tied up with kinship obligations in mutual aid and reciprocal gift exchange.| Firth, a student of Malinowski, was at the time of the publication of this book a Reader in Anthropology at the University of London. He spent twelve months on Tikopia, during the years 1928-29.

Subjects

Kinship

Kin groups

culture

Tikopia

HRAF PubDate

1995

Region

Oceania

Sub Region

Polynesia

Document Type

Book

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Alice McCloskey

Field Date

1928-29

Coverage Date

not specified

Coverage Place

Tikopia Island, Solomon Islands

Notes

[by] Raymond Firth ; with a preface by Bronislaw Malinowski

A glossary is in Glossary (104); Not all native terms for kinship have been excerpted for this category. Others may be found in the chapter The Language of Kinship, pp. 235-283; Although there are no true moieties, the districts of Faea and Raveŋa perform many of the functions of moieties, and information on them has been filed in category 616

Several non-text pages and pp. 601-605 are not included

Bibliography: p. 282.|Includes index

LCSH

Tikopia (Solomon Islands peoples)