Conception, De-Conception and Social Structure in Bush Mekeo Culture

Bibliographic Data

ID3914939
AuthorsMark Mosko (0000-0002-6408-2629), Mark S Mosko (Hartwick College, corresponding author)
Year2010
Volume14
Issue1
Pages24-32
Publication date2010-05-10
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMankind (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0025-2328 • E-ISSN: 2204-2121
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1835-9310.1983.tb01248.x
OpenAlexW2003267283
LanguageEN
Citations received38
References cited4

According to a contradiction of endogamy vs. exogamy (or of ‘blood’ vs. ‘non-blood’ relationship) in Bush Mekeo culture, non-relatives may marry and conceive by ‘mixing’ of distinct procreative clan bloods. By means of marriage and mortuary reciprocities, on the other hand, relatives or kin are ‘de-conceived’ through the ‘unmixing’ of non-procreative clan bloods. Thus, Bush Mekeo social structure is preserved through time: While the boundaries distinguishing unilineal descent groups are maintained constant, non-relatives are translated into affines who generate bilateral kin, and bilateral kin are translated into nonrelatives and, thereby, potential affines

Clan · Contradiction · Descent (aeronautics) · Endogamy · Epistemology · Ethnology · Exogamy · Genealogy · Geography · Population · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Anthropology · Demography · History · Indigenous Studies and Ecology · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology