Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T16:10:07.607Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Abelam yam beliefs and sociorhythmicity: a study in chronoanthropology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Richard Scaglion  and
Richard G. Condon
Richard Scaglion
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Richard G. Condon
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The Western Abelam of Papua New Guinea display an annual cycle of social conflicts and births which is a function of a system of ritual beliefs involved in the growing of ceremonial yams. This sociorhythmic ritual complex involves adherence to various taboos which encourage a 6-month period in which social conflict is avoided and sexual activity is markedly curtailed. Conflict case studies and demographic data collected from one village over a 15-month period indicate significant seasonal variation in various areas of Abelam social life and suggest that sociorhythmic phenomena can affect both social behaviour and demographic patterns of human groups. Alternative environmental and nutritional hypotheses are also investigated.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 11 , Issue 1 , January 1979 , pp. 17 - 25
Copyright
Copyright © 1979, Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Black, M. & Metzger, D. (1965) Ethnographic description and the study of law. Am. Anthrop.. 67, 141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chang, K.S.F., Chan, S.T., Low, W.D. & Ng, C.K. (1963) Climate and conception rates in Hong Kong. Hum. Biol.. 35, 366.Google Scholar
Colquhoun, W.P. (Ed.) (1971) Biological Rhythms and Human Performance. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
Cowgill, U.M. (1966a) The season of birth in man. Man, 1, 232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowgill, U.M. (1966b) Season of birth in man: contemporary situation with special reference to Europe and the southern hemisphere. Ecology, 47, 614.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowgill, U.M. (1966c) The season of birth in man: the northern New World. Pap. Kroeber Anthrop. 35.Google Scholar
Forge, J.A.W. (1962) Paint—a magical substance. Palette, 9, 9.Google Scholar
Forge, J.A.W. (1966) Art and environment in the Sepik. Proc. R. Anthrop. Inst. 1965, 23.Google Scholar
Forge, J.A.W. (1970a) Learning to see in New Guinea. In: Socialization: The Approach from Social Anthropology, p. 269. Edited by Mayer, P.. Tavistock, London.Google Scholar
Forge, J.A.W. (1970b) Prestige, influence and sorcery: a New Guinea example. In: Witchcraft confessions and Accusations, p. 257. Edited by Douglas, M.. Tavistock, London.Google Scholar
Frake, C.O. (1969) Struck by speech: the Yakan concept of litigation. In: Law in Culture and Society, 2, p. 147. Edited by Nader, L.. Aldine, NY.Google Scholar
Gulliver, P.H. (1969) Case studies of law in non-Western societies: introduction. In: Law in Culture and Society, 2, p. 11. Edited by Nader, L.. Aldine, NY.Google Scholar
Johnson, J.T., Ann, T.B.Palan, V.T. (1975) Seasonality of births for West Malaysia's two main racial groups. Hum. Biol. 47, 295.Google ScholarPubMed
Kaberry, P.M. (1941) The Abelam tribe, Sepik District, New Guinea: a preliminary report. Oceania. 11, 233, 345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaberry, P.M. (1941–1942) Law and political organisation in the Abelam tribe, New Guinea. Oceania, 13, 79, 209, 331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaberry, P.M. (1965–1966) Political organisation among the Northern Abelam. Anthropol. Forum, 1, 334.Google Scholar
Knobloch, H. & Pasamanick, B. (1958) Seasonal variation in births of mentally deficient. Am. J. publ. Hlth, 48, 1201.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lea, D.A.M. (1964) Abelam Land and Sustenance. PhD thesis, The Australian National University, Canberra.Google Scholar
Lea, D.A.M. (1969) Some non-nutritive functions of food in New Guinea. In: Settlement and Encounter: Geographical Studies Presented to Sir Grenfell Price, p. 173. Edited by Gale, F. & Lawton, G.H.. Oxford University Press, London.Google Scholar
Luce, G.G. (1970) Biological Rhythms in Psychiatry and Medicine. National Institute of Mental Health, Maryland.Google Scholar
Malina, R.M. & Himes, J.H. (1977) Seasonality of births in a rural Zapotec municipio. Hum. Biol. 49, 125.Google Scholar
Pasamanick, B., Dinitz, S. & Knobloch, H. (1959) Geographic and seasonal variations in births. Publ. Hlth Rep. 74, 285.Google Scholar
Pasamanick, B., Dinitz, S. & Knobloch, H. (1960) Socio-economic and seasonal variations in birth rates. Millbank meml Fund Q. Bull. 38, 248.Google Scholar
Pengelley, E.T. (Ed.) (1974) Circannual Rhythms: Annual Biological Rhythms. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
Scaglion, R. (1976) Seasonal Patterns in Western Abelam Conflict Management Practices. PhD thesis, University of Pittsburgh.Google Scholar
Scaglion, R. (1978) Seasonal births in a Western Abelam village, Papua New Guinea. Hum. Biol. 50, (In Press).Google Scholar
Scheving, L., Halberg, F. & Pauly, J. (1974) Chronobiology. Igaku Shoin, Tokyo.Google Scholar
Takahashi, E. (1964) Seasonal variation of conception and suicide. Tohoku J. exp. Med.. 84, 215.Google Scholar
Tuzin, D. (1972) Yam symbolism in the Sepik: an interpretative account. SWest J. Anthrop. 28, 230.Google Scholar