essay
Gender relations in Tonga: a paradigm shift
tongan culture and history • Canberra • Published In 1990 • Pages: 93-100, 217-230
By: James, Kerry.
Abstract
In this article, James critiques anthropological accounts of how gender relations, and rank and authority are constituted in Tonga socio-political system, focusing on the local kin group, KāINGA. He argues that anthropologists are wrong to look at the KāINGA as a domestic unit, or a corporate group, which constitute gender relations and status. For James, gender relations and the KāINGA are embedded in a larger ideational and political system of rank and authority. Following Leach's arguments about the incompatibility of bilateral kinship structures and permanent property-holding unilineal kin groups, James argues that the KāINGA is part of a system of ranked titles which appear to be inherited patrilineally when in fact the heir could be any member of the KāINGA who is best qualified to lead. The document includes a 14-page bibliography and four-page glossary.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2006
- Region
- Oceania
- Sub Region
- Polynesia
- Document Type
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Ian Skoggard; 2004
- Field Date
- unknown
- Coverage Date
- 1839-2987
- Coverage Place
- Tonga
- Notes
- K. E. James
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 217-230)
- LCCN
- 93193298
- LCSH
- Tongans