Anthropology - Publications

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Browsing Anthropology - Publications by Subject "Dravidian kinship"
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    Agnatic notion, bilateral tendencies and the organisation of local groups among the Muduga
    ( 2012-10-01) Tharakan C, George
    This article examines the agnatic notion and the organisation of local groups among the Muduga of Attappady in Kerala. Ethnographic evidence shows that the actual practices of the Muduga deviate from an ideal patrilineal type, exhibiting bilateral tendencies which are not characteristic of a strong patrilineal system, thereby making the Muduga case appear to fall between the African and Melanesian type. In the understanding of kin groups, there is a need to differentiate between social groups and cultural categories. The nature of Muduga kinship can be understood only by meaningfully linking ideal and actual behaviour through the interrelationship between structural premises and practice. © SAGE Publications 2012.
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    Louis Dumont and the essence of Dravidian kinship terminology: The case of Muduga
    ( 2006-01-01) Tharakan, George C.
    This article presents an analysis of relationship terms among the Muduga of Kerala, South India, and also attempts to provide a reasonable elucidation of the issues precipitated in the recent discussions on the subject of Dravidian kinship by Rudner (1990, 1997), Parkin (1996, 1997), and Busby (1997). Accepting that Dumont's model has its own impediments, I argue that his paradigmatic structure nonetheless does adequately represent the essence of the Dravidian terminological system. I base my discussion of Dravidian terminology on evidence from the Muduga of Kerala as well as other neighboring Tamil communities. Copyright © by The University of New Mexico.