The theme of this book is the analysis of the changes that
have occurred in the kinship patterns of the Toka of South Zambia
as a result of a shift in their form of production from hoe
agriculture to ox-drawn ploughing. Dr Holy uses the rich, detailed
ethnography that he provides about these changes to confront
several theoretical issues of current anthropological interest, as
well as to examine the basic methodological problems of
anthropological enquiry. Emphasizing the distinction between the
conceptual and cognitive world of the actors, and the transactions
and events in which they engage, he argues that anthropological
explanation has to account not only for structure, but also for the
purposeful interaction between actors that generates that
structure.
目錄:
List of maps and diagrams
List of tanles
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Descent categories and local ties in traditional Toka
society
2. Technological development and the restructuring of the relations
of production
3. Changing norms of inheritance
4. The structure of local groups
5. The changing concept of the basimukowa
6. Mukowa and ritual
7. The role of the mukowa in succession
8. The role of the mukowa in inheritance
9. Mukowa: representational and operational models
10. Norms as a strategic resource
Appendices
Notes
References
Index