The Dynamics of Clanship Among the Tallensi: Being the First Part of an Analysis of the Social Structure of a Trans-Volta Tribe

By: Meyer Fortes

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Synopsis: Originally published in 1945, this book analyses Tale social structure at the level of corporate group organization. Tale culture is discussed primarily as the content of social relations and not in its own right. Customs, beliefs, conventional usages, religious values are examined as indices of social relations. Although not a comparative study, it is clear that many features of Tale social organization are typical of patrilineal societies in West Africa and some Tale institutions have parallels in South, East, and Central Africa. Field work showed that every significant social activity among the Tallensi is tied up with the lineage system and the book therefore investigates the function of lineage in Tale social organization.