ミクロネシアの養取慣行 : 族制，土地所有，分配体系との関連で

DOI 機関リポジトリ Web Site

書誌事項

タイトル別名
  • National Museum of Ethnology
  • ミクロネシア ノ ヨウシュ カンコウ ゾクセイ トチ ショユウ ブンパイ タイ

この論文をさがす

抄録

This is a preliminary report and consideration of adoptioncustoms in Micronesia. An attempt is made to clarify the realitiesand functions of this custom in relation to the family-kinshiporganization, land tenure system and economic mechanism inseveral Micronesian societies, such as Palau, Yap, Truk (Romonum,Ulul), Ponape (Ponape, Mokil, Kapingamarangi) and Marshall(Majuro, Bikini).For a comparative study of adoption customs in these societies,seven points are proposed as indexes for analysis : i.e. (1) characteristicsof the corporate group concerned, (2) meanings of nativeterms which show 'adoption', (3) motivations and factors of adoption,(4) procedure of adoption practice, (5) relationship betweenadopted children and adoptors, (6) relationship established throughadoption among kin groups, and (7) status of adopted children.These indexes are provided, to help grasp adoption customs at thelevel of kinship study or descent theory.An examination of bibliographic data on Micronesian adoptioncustoms makes it clear that :1. Adoption for the purpose of acquiring an heir (or heiress)is closely related with the tendency that the size of acorporate group is reduced and also that lands are privatelyowned by individuals.2. Adoption is based on the social view that everyone shouldideally have a sibling of opposite sex and that a marriedcouple comes to acquire social status as adults by fosteringat least one child.3. In most cases, adoption is made between consanguinealkinsmen, and it commonly functions as a factor of economicsupport for those kinsmen with many children.4. Adoption never changes clan membership, nor does itproduce any new kinship relation.It seems that the approach from the standpoint of descenttheory is not satisfactory to fully understand the Micronesianadoption customs with the above-mentioned characteristics.In the latter half of this paper, the writer examines the datawhich he obtained through fieldwork among the Ulul Islanders.An analysis of his data makes it possible to point out the presence ofa structural relation between the adoption customs and the traditionaldistribution system. For a further understanding of adoptioncustoms in Micronesia, emphasis must be placed on the aspect thatthey also functions as one of the cultural paraphernalia which keeps the balance of "wealth" in a society.

収録刊行物

詳細情報 詳細情報について

問題の指摘

ページトップへ