The family : an ethnographical and historical outline with descriptive notes, planned as a text-book for the use of college lecturers and of directors of home-reading clubs / by Elsie Crews Parsons.

  • Parsons, Elsie Worthington Clews, 1874-1941.
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: The family : an ethnographical and historical outline with descriptive notes, planned as a text-book for the use of college lecturers and of directors of home-reading clubs / by Elsie Crews Parsons. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Contents primitive paternal power part of a more or less complex juridical system —Physical parenthood known, but not recognised as a juridical re¬ lation—Juridical parenthood: adoption of child of concubine, of child by former husband, levirate, niyoga—Systems of computing kinship —Descriptive system reckons kinship between two individuals ac¬ cording to their genealogical position to a common ancestor, col¬ lateral and some of the lineal kindred being originally described by a combination of primary terms—Levitical, Roman, and civil law sys¬ tem and canon and English common-law system of reckoning degrees— Classificatory system reckons kinship between groups of individuals of same generation, the collateral being merged into the lineal lines. LECTURE XII KINSHIP GROUPS— THE PRIMITIVE SIMPLE FAMILY— THE COMPOUND FAMILY THE MATRIARCHATE 267-296 Blood-kinship one of the most important social ties—Kinship- groups: simple and compound family, clan (totem, matriarchal, and patriarchal), phratry, tribe, and tribal confederation (at times)—Simple family of parents and offspring characteristic of primitive hordes and of complex modern societies—Organisation of simple family of primi¬ tive horde—Totemism—Totem-clans—Primitive simple family in groups with and without totem-clan organisation—In former case family tends to be absorbed by clan—Definition of phratries—Hordes or local groups small—Due to uncertain and scant sources of sub¬ sistence—The men hunters and fishers of a low type; the women collectors of roots, fruits, berries, shell-fish, etc.—Meagreness of food- supply also necessitates migration—Constitution and direction of tribe —Group-headship, magic ceremonial, and women sometimes inherited —Beginnings of ancestor-worship in destruction of property at death, exorcist charms, etc.—Compound matriarchial or patriarchal family united by economic, juridical, and religious ties—May or may not form a common household—Ties closer than those of co-existing sim¬ ple families, totem-clans, tribes, or local groups—Pure type of matriarchal family rare—Matriarchal features—Matronymy (but not exclusively matriarchal)—Temporary or permanent residence with ■wife's family—Mixed systems showing dependence upon facts of residence for determination of matriarchal or patriarchal system—Poly¬ andry, polygyny, or monogamy—Reciprocal right of divorce—Abor¬ tion—Long lactation—Major control of offspring with mother and male relatives—Influence of girls in choice of husbands—Tendency to postpone age at marriage—Incipient discipline of children—Avun- culate—Vasu-right—From 20 to 150 persons may compose a common household, several households forming a local group—Groups semi- migratory—Developing economic arts lengthen period of education.