Stephen M. Lyon
Persistent Cultures: Miskitu Kinship Terminological Fluidity and Idea Systems
Lyon, Stephen M.; Jamieson, Mark A.; Fischer, Michael D.
Authors
Mark A. Jamieson
Michael D. Fischer
Abstract
Kinship is understood dynamically and processually but kinship terminologies are remarkably stable idea systems. They provide cultural continuity over time and are more resistant to modification than many types of cultural instantiations. Miskitu speakers in Nicaragua, however, have adopted new kin terms that appear to have fundamentally changed the idea system used to generate their kin terms historically. The shape of the changes that have occurred in Miskitu kin terminologies over time are the result of powerful economic, political and social forces introduced, in part, as a consequence of the geography of Mosquito Coast economies, migrations and political processes. We argue that the current use of kin terms is atypically hybrid and is not the result of a single, algebraically derivable idea system. Rather than negating the validity of mathematical approaches to kinship terminologies, the case of Miskitu kinship terminology suggests that core idea systems, although subject to change over time, move between informationally economical forms adapted to socioeconomic changes.
Citation
Lyon, S. M., Jamieson, M. A., & Fischer, M. D. (2015). Persistent Cultures: Miskitu Kinship Terminological Fluidity and Idea Systems. Structure and dynamics, 8(1), Article 1
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Online Publication Date | Jan 1, 2015 |
Publication Date | Jul 9, 2015 |
Deposit Date | Jul 8, 2015 |
Publicly Available Date | Jul 20, 2015 |
Journal | Structure and dynamics ejournal of anthropological and related sciences. |
Electronic ISSN | 1554-3374 |
Publisher | University of California eScholarship Repository |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 8 |
Issue | 1 |
Article Number | 1 |
Keywords | Kinship terminologies, Miskitu, Cultural systems. |
Public URL | https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1435107 |
Publisher URL | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6w65n7sf# |
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2015 by the article author(s). This work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution3.0 license, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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