Originally published in 1975, this book examines property and power relations in a Swahili village on Mafia Island off Tanzania. It focuses on the cognatic descent groups which are important in many areas of village life such as land-holding, marriage, residence, Islamic activities and spirit possession cults. Some anthropologists have contended that groups with multiple membership cannot be viable social units, but this book shows that such a system can actually work. In showing how the cognatic descent groups actually operate, both an ideology of descent group membership and also numerical material about patterns of choice are presented. This involves the construction of both mechanical and statistical models, as well as a decision model to discuss the constraints governing choices.
| ISBN: | 9781138493278 |
| Publication date: | 22nd August 2018 |
| Author: | Patricia Caplan |
| Publisher: | Routledge an imprint of Taylor & Francis |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 176 pages |
| Series: | African Ethnographic Studies of the 20th Century |
| Genres: |
Social and cultural anthropology Regional / International studies |
Originally published in 1975, this book examines property and power relations in a Swahili village on Mafia Island off Tanzania. It focuses on the cognatic descent groups which are important in many areas of village life such as land-holding, marriage, residence, Islamic activities and spirit possession cults. Some anthropologists have contended that groups with multiple membership cannot be viable social units, but this book shows that such a system can actually work. In showing how the cognatic descent groups actually operate, both an ideology of descent group membership and also numerical material about patterns of choice are presented. This involves the construction of both mechanical and statistical models, as well as a decision model to discuss the constraints governing choices.
Choice and Constraint in a Swahili Community features in the following genres: Social and cultural anthropology, Regional / International studies
Choice and Constraint in a Swahili Community is available in Hardback
Choice and Constraint in a Swahili Community was written by Patricia Caplan and published by Routledge an imprint of Taylor & Francis
Choice and Constraint in a Swahili Community has 176 pages
Yes it is part of African Ethnographic Studies of the 20th Century series
£85.49