Against the background of the problems involved in the comparative study of human society, the essays in this book show the comparative ideal in practice, which combines elements from both sociology and anthropology.In each essay, specific problems are treated in a way which tests theory against evidence, to replace assertion by demonstration.Topics covered include:· Incest and Adultery· Double descent systems· Inheritance, social change and the boundary problem· Marriage policy· The circulation of women and children in northern Ghana· Indo-European kinship.First published in 1969.

Against the background of the problems involved in the comparative study of human society, the essays in this book show the comparative ideal in practice, which combines elements from both sociology and anthropology.In each essay, specific problems are treated in a way which tests theory against evidence, to replace assertion by demonstration.Topics covered include:· Incest and Adultery· Double descent systems· Inheritance, social change and the boundary problem· Marriage policy· The circulation of women and children in northern Ghana· Indo-European kinship.First published in 1969.