article
Tongan exchange structures: beyond descent and alliance
journal of the Polynesian Society • 91 (2) • Published In 1982 • Pages: 181-212
By: Biersack, Aletta.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This is a very sophisticated anlaysis of Tonga kinship. Biersack first reviews the descent and alliance theories used to analyze Pacific islands kinship systems. Then she examines Tonga kinship terminology and behavioral norms, before proposing her theory on the Tonga alliance and exchange system. According to Biersack, Tonga kin terms and exchange practices reveal two complimentary classes of kin: parallel siblings and their children, and cross-siblings and their children. Both are asymmetric relationships. In the former age is the main criteria of rank ordering and in the latter, gender. Mats, food, women, and services are exchanged within the cross siblings matrix and land, titles, and kava, within the parallel siblings matrix. Biersack emphasizes that it is the relationship between parts that matter, not the parts themselves, calling her model a 'complex exchange structure.'
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Status, role, and prestige
- Visiting and hospitality
- Family relationships
- Kin relationships
- Avuncular and nepotic relatives
- Kindreds and ramages
- Territorial hierarchy
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Tongans
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2006
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Oceania
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Polynesia
- 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; 2004
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- unknown
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- not specified
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Tonga
- NotesAdditional notes
- Aletta Biersack
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 210-212)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 08012644
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Tongans