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the exchange of men in 19th‐century Negeri Sembilan (Malaya)
Author(s) -
PELETZ MICHAEL G.
Publication year - 1987
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.1987.14.3.02a00030
Subject(s) - malay , position (finance) , power (physics) , productivity , sociology , property (philosophy) , law , ancient history , political science , gender studies , history , economic growth , economics , philosophy , linguistics , physics , finance , epistemology , quantum mechanics
The exchange of women (or rights over them) is a much‐noted feature of systems of marriage and affinity, and is often regarded as a universal within the domain of affinal alliance. It is becoming increasingly apparent, however, that certain systems of marriage and affinity do not revolve around exchanges of women, but focus instead on exchanges of men and transactions over their labor power and productivity in particular. This paper elaborates on the latter position and discusses a 19th‐century society of Malay Muslims who traced their descent from the Sumatran Minangkabau and resided in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaya. My analyses of property relations, marriage ceremonies, and funerary rituals highlight the structure and dynamics of the system as well as its theoretical significance [marriage and affinity, exchange, property relations, Negeri Sembilan, Malaya].