Quadripartite structures
Abstract
Using a rigorous structural approach to interpret in a consistent and systematic way the principal meanings and social practices of this S Seas way of life, it provides a portrayal of Bush Mekeo culture and society as a unified, coherent, and logical 'whole'. Explores empirically the logic by which symbols are connected. Beginning with native symbolic constructions of space and time, unfolds the associated beliefs and practices pertaining to the body, to the relations between the genders, to the system of social organization, and to the Bush Mekeo mortuary ceremonial. Reveals that each of these involves complex interconnections of numerous key symbols or metaphors that can be traced to a particular underlying quadripartite pattern, which gives the total system its form and its various symbolic elements their consistent meanings. The final chapters explore the broader cross-cultural and theoretical implications of these findings. -from Publisher