A society without fathers or husbands : the Na of China /Cai Hua ; translated by Asti Hustvedt

The Na of China, farmers in the Himalayan region, live without the institution of marriage. Na brothers and sisters live together their entire lives, sharing household responsibilities and raising the women's children. Because the Na, like all cultures, prohibit incest, they practice a system of sometimes furtive, sometimes conspicuous nighttime encounters at the woman's home. The woman's partners--she frequently has more than one--bear no economic responsibility for her or her children, and "fathers," unless they resemble their children, remain unidentifiable.This lucid ethnographic study shows how a society can function without husbands or fathers. It sheds light on marriage and kinship, as well as on the position of women, the necessary conditions for the acquisition of identity, and the impact of a communist state on a society that it considers backward. Front Cover 1 Front Flap 2 Half-Title 5 Title page 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Acknowledgments 17 A Note on the Transcription of Na and Chinese Words 19 Introduction 23 Part One: The Context 37 1. General Presentation 39 Identity 39 Geography of the Yongning Region 41 The Lines of Communication 43 The Economy 44 The Adminisatration of Yongning 49 2. Social Stratification until 1956 53 Rules of Conduct 53 Sïpi 54 Dzéka 55 We 56 3. The Political Regime until 1956 67 An Overview of the Tusi System in China 67 The Political Regime of the Na Tusi 72 The Division of the Yongning Region into Two Zones 76 The Traditional Rights of Commoners 78 4. Landownership: The System until 1956 85 Public Land 85 The Shifts in Landownership 88 Land Owned by Aristocratic Lignées 91 Land Owned by Commoner Lignées 95 Land Owned by Serfs 96 Land Owned by the Village 97 Taxes and Tributes 97 5. Religions 103 The Daba 103 The Lamaist Monks 107 The Political Role of the Buddhist Organization 110 6. Neighboring Ethnic Groups 113 Characteristics of the Neighboring Ethnic Groups 113 The Zhifu's Attitude towards Immigration 116 Part Two: Kinship and the Modality of Sexual Life 119 7. The Foundation of the Na Kinship System 121 Genealogical Survey 121 The Concept of Procreation 122 Consanguinity 124 The Residence 133 The Nomenclature of Kinship 144 Adoption 154 The Breakup of a Lignée 163 Larger Social Groupings 169 Reciprocity 175 Birth 179 The Name of the Lignée 182 Puberty 183 8. The Furtive Visit 189 Definition 189 Forming the Relationship 190 The Process of the Visit 195 The Selection Criteria 200 The Exchange of Gifts 204 The Multiplicity of Partners and the Discontinuity of Relationships 206 Case Studies 210 Jealousy and Fidelity 216 Intra- and Inter- Village Relations 219 The Behavior of Different Age-Groups 222 Disputes between Villages 226 Interethnic Relations 227 The Question of Prostitution 229 Men as Genitors and Children as "Bastards" 230 The Norms that Regulate the Açia Relationship 235 The Sixteen Elementary Combinations of the Açia Relationship 237 9. The Conspicuous Visit 241 Definition 241 Forming the Relationship 241 The Meal Ritual 242 The Exchanging of Gifts 243 The Process of the Conspicuous Visits 244 The Sexual Privilege 246 Jealousy and Tolerance 248 The Independence of the dhu zï dhu mi 251 The Norms Regulating the dhu zï dhu mi Relationship 255 10. Cohabitation 267 Definition 267 Types of Cohabitation 268 Breakdown of the Cohabitation Types 272 Zo min and mu min 277 The Prerequisite Condition for Cohabitation 290 The Norms Regulating Cohabitation 293 11. The Marriage of the Only Son as a Type 307 Definition 307 The Request to Give a Young Woman 308 The Ceremonies 310 Hinshuba and Chumi 313 The Spouses' Rights and Responsibilities 313 Min kru: Jealousy and Tolerance 314 The Newlyweds' Children in the New Household 317 The Kinship Terminology for Married Couples 319 The Dissolution of the Matrimonial Relationship 320 Why Someone Would Choose Marriage 326 The Norms Regulating Marriage 330 12. Kinship in the Zhifu's Family 339 The Rule for Transmission of Consanguinity and Status 339 The Modality of Sexual Life 344 Daily Behavior 355 Inheritance 356 Kinship Terminology for the Zhifu 358 About the Zhifu's Kinship Group 359 The General Administrator's Household 363 The Displacement of Power 364 The Modality of Sexual Life for the Last Zhifu's Descendants 365 Governmental Rules Regarding the Transfer of the Zhifu's Power 369 13. The Matrimonial Reforms: 1959-74 and 1980s-90s 389 Na Moral Standards as Viewed by the Local Government 389 The First Reform (1958): The Advocacy of Monogamy 390 The Second and Third Reforms (1966 and 1971): The Imposition of Monogamy 392 The Fourth Reform (1974): The Imposition of Monogamy through Administrative Constraints 393 The Villagers' Reactions 399 The Current Situation 402 Part Three: Comparision and Theoretical Discussion 415 14. The Modalities of Sexual Life 417 The Comparison of the Four Modalities of Sexual Life 418 What is Marriage? 431 Further Comparison 441 Why Marriage and Why the Visit? 446 15. Various Types of Domestic Groups 453 What is a Family? 453 A Comparison of Various Na Domestic Groups with the Family 457 16. Conclusion 463 Notes 481 Glossary 497 Bibliography 503 Colophon 510 Back Flap 513 Back Cover 514

a Fascinating Account Of The Na Society, Which Functions Without The Institution Of Marriage.

publishers Weekly

marriage Is The Foundation Of All Societies, Anthropologists Have Claimed. Yet The Na, An Ethnic Minority Living In China's Himalayan Foothills, Have Enjoyed A Successful Culture Without It. The Na Are A Truly Matrilineal Society: Heterosexual Activity Occurs By Mutual Consent And Mostly Through The Custom Of The Secret Nocturnal Visit; Men And Women Are Free To Have Multiple Partners And To Initiate Or Break Off Relationships When They Please. Children Are Raised By Their Mother's Family, With The Biological Father Playing No Role Whatsoever. Cai Hua, Director Of Research At The Yunnan Academy Of Social Sciences In China, Lived Among The Na For Extended Periods During The 1980s And 1990s And Gathered Comprehensive Data On Their History, Religion, Economic Practices And Social Customs In Particular, Kinship Systems. The Resulting Description And Analysis, Originally Presented As His Master's Thesis, Introduces A Fascinating Culture For Whom Sexuality Is Not A Piece Of Merchandise But A Purely Sentimental And Amorous Matter That Implies No Mutual Constraints. (hua Does Not Mention Whether Homosexual Activity Is Similarly Tolerated.) Na Men And Women Generally Report High Satisfaction With Their Sex Lives. As In Other Cultures, Though, Physically Unattractive, Disabled And Older Individuals Have Few (if Any) Romantic Options; High Rates Of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Also Occur. This Painstakingly Researched Book Will Provide Social Scientists With Much Useful Information And Will Raise Major Questions About Accepted Views Of Family Relationships And Gender Roles. Its Dry Prose, Clinical Tone And Exhaustive Scope, However, May Prove Daunting For General Readers. (may 1) Forecast: Touted As A Groundbreaking Study, This Book Is Clearly Intended For Specialists. Though Thoroughly Researched And Meticulously Presented, It Lacks The Kind Of Readability That Could Have Made It A 21st-century Coming Of Age In Samoa. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.