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age metrics and twisted cylinders: predictions from a structural model
Author(s) -
FAT FRANKLIN E. TJON SIE
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
american ethnologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.875
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1548-1425
pISSN - 0094-0496
DOI - 10.1525/ae.1983.10.3.02a00110
Subject(s) - kinship , simple (philosophy) , oblique case , mathematics , statistical physics , sociology , anthropology , epistemology , physics , philosophy , linguistics
The existence of systematic mean age differences between spouses has led to the formulation of openended “helical” exchange structures for certain Australian systems. The purpose of this paper is to develop a formal mathematical model generating all simple helical structures with age‐biased matrilateral cross‐cousin marriage. The model also produces structures of “oblique” marriage with ZD, FZSD, and FZDD. The model is constructed by mapping a quantitative metrical age structure onto a group‐theoretic base structure of generalized exchange. All simple helical structures with fewer than 15 patrilines are derived. Finally, a number of ethnographic cases are contrasted with the predictions from the model . [kinship, mathematical anthropology, helical models]