Family Kin And Community Anthropology

An Exploration ofGroup Theory and Yolngu Kinship StructuresNAMENAME OF COURSENAME OF PROFESSORMay 19 , 2008A Brief abstract of Yolngu Society and a Note on MethodologyMurngin is a gens given to a loosely affiliated group of Australian aborigines in the blue Territory of Australia . They were so named by W . Lloyd Warner in 1930 , an American anthropologist who was one of the first to study the manifold affinity structures of native Australians This term is contested in the anthropological community , as it has negative connotations when translated , and actually refers to several different tribes . For the purposes of this , I will use the term Yolngu , which refers to the same grouping of tribes but is marginally less offensive . Several different suggestions be possessed of been made , including `Wulamba , but by the time this re-naming was pickings place , the use of the term `Murngin was so widespread that it is continually used today especially in regards to The Murngin Problem , which is how anthropologists have referred to their clement relationship structures and its resistance to classification (Liu , Murngin 20-21 . Mathematics has been applied in various ways to the chemical attraction system of the Yolngu in to sour this problemThe mathematical analysis of the [Yolngu] System proves that the joint operation of anthropology and mathematics leads to the solution of a hitherto insolvable problem . that by a combination of the two disciplines may solutions to such problems be reached (Liu , Murngin 6The Yolngu have traditionally been hunters and gatherers , leading a semi-nomadic lifestyle . This is true of many Australian aborigines particularly in the Northern Territory , although this way of life has been sharply curtailed by the firmness of purpose of white colonialists throughout Australia .

In his work on Yolngu kinship structures Pin-Hsiung Liu has pointed out thatIn contrast to the simplicity of their way of life , the kinship structure constructed by the [Yolngu] is so amazingly complicated that it has been recognise as one of the greatest feats of social engineering human society has ever produced (Murngin 21While this will make clear save how intricate the Yolngu kinship structure is , I do not wish to assume that the lifestyle of the Yolngu is any more or less simple than that of modern American urbanites . Liu s statement , firearm praising Yolngu accomplishments , is also overly enthusiastic in its astonishment that such a simplistic society could come up with such a intricate kinship structure . furthermore , although we may consider the Yolngu simple in that they do not own many possessions which many consider vital (such as SUVs or Discmans ) their entire social structure is highly complex . I would caution against any such patronizing tendencies in the analysis of the Yolngu and try to resist them myself , although I may not always succeedKinship Structures of the YolnguAboriginal kinship structures are complex and unique . Their kinship structures serve a wide variety of functions , including being an measurable part of political and spiritual practices . The Yolngu kinship structure consists...If you lack to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay

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