The Social Organization of Australian Tribes. Part II

AR Radcliffe-Brown - Oceania, 1930 - JSTOR
AR Radcliffe-Brown
Oceania, 1930JSTOR
TN the first part of this paper I have given a brief generalized description of Australian social
organization. In this second part I shall give what is really only a systematic catalogue of the
various types or varieties of that organization with which we are at present acquainted. On
the accompanying map (Map 2) there are indicated fifty numbered areas which will be dealt
with in order. For many of these areas our informa-tion is very scanty, and for some of them it
is now too late to obtain any reliable information. Nevertheless it seems worth while to make …
TN the first part of this paper I have given a brief generalized description of Australian social organization. In this second part I shall give what is really only a systematic catalogue of the various types or varieties of that organization with which we are at present acquainted. On the accompanying map (Map 2) there are indicated fifty numbered areas which will be dealt with in order. For many of these areas our informa-tion is very scanty, and for some of them it is now too late to obtain any reliable information. Nevertheless it seems worth while to make this catalogue of types or areas as complete as possible. Where information is more abundant considerations of space forbid the inclusion of more than the briefest possible outline. For each area references are given to the literature dealing with the social organization. Considerations of space make quite impossible any critical examination of the earlier writers. It should be noted, however, that many of the accounts given of Australian social organization are inaccurate, or by their incompleteness are misleading. Thus the statements of Howitt or of RH Mathews must not be accepted without careful criticism; many of them are derived from informants who are decidedly unreliable. Howitt himself is often responsible for much con-fusion. Thus, to give one example, he uses the word" tribe" some-times to refer to what is here called a tribe, sometimes to refer to a local subdivision of a tribe, and sometimes to refer to a group consisting of a number of tribes with the same word for" man." In the spelling of tribal names an endeavour has been made to intro-duce a uniform system. The exact pronunciation cannot of course be indicated except by the use of special letters and diacritical marks. It is hoped that it may be possible later to publish a glossary of native tribes with the pronunciation indicated wherever it is precisely known. In
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