Social organization in Aboriginal Australia

Abstract

This book focuses on kinship and affinity, important aspects of Aboriginal social organization which the author claims have not been satisfactorily explained in the literature. He illustrates his arguments with data on the social life of the Aboriginal peoples of north-eastern Arnhem Land and elsewhere. Professor Shapiro challenges the theories of some of the established authorities, and argues that some dicta are distorted: the character of four- and eight-class systems; the alleged isomorphism between kin-classification and social behaviour; the imaginary notion of Aboriginal corporate descent groups; and several others. This book will arouse controversy among anthropologists and prove of interest to the general reader as well.