Rodney Needham's Critique of Alliance Theory
The question asks which anthropologist limited the scope of Levi-Strauss's alliance theory.
Rodney Needham, a prominent anthropologist, argued that Claude Levi-Strauss's influential alliance theory was primarily applicable only in specific social contexts.
Specifically, Needham contended that the theory was most relevant to societies characterized by:
- Prescriptive marriage rules: Systems where individuals are required or strongly expected to marry certain categories of relatives or members of specific groups.
His critique highlighted that Levi-Strauss's model, focusing on marriage exchanges and structures, did not adequately account for the diversity of marriage practices and social systems found globally, particularly those without rigid, prescriptive rules.
Key Takeaway
Rodney Needham's contribution was to identify the constraint of prescriptive marriage rules for the universal applicability of Levi-Strauss's alliance theory.
Important Questions from Social Institutions
If nephews and nieces are brought up in their maternal uncle's family, the arrangement is referred to as
- The Munda and the Oraon of the Chotta Nagpur who live close to each other and share much of their cultural life, belong to which speech group, respectively?
Of the following, who has not worked on the functioning of the Jajmani system as a binding force among castes?
A. W. H. Wiser
B. K. Ishwaran
C. M. Opler
D. K. Gough
E. S. C. Dube
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
A Hindu marriage ceremony consists of a series of ritual performances, which are:
A. Kanyadan
B. Prajapatya
C. Vivaha-havan
D. Pani-grahan
E. Sapta-padi
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
According to P. M. Kolenda, which family types were not discussed for a comparative evaluation?
A. Single person household
B. Sub-nuclear family
C. Juvenile family
D. Supplemented sub-nuclear family
E. Singular family
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
