Mundurucu: social change or false problem?

Abstract

Robert Murphy's analysis of Mundurucu society is reevaluated, particularly with reference to three aspects: his hypothesis that in the past residence in this patrilineal society was patrilocal; his contention that their present‐day disharmonic system of patrilineality and uxorilocality, due to externally induced change, is a rare case of this combination; and his interpretation of the role of descent in Mundurucu society. I attempt to show that not only are disharmonic systems such as that of the Mundurucu relatively common in South America, but also, in the Mundurucu case, this system is structurally viable and consistent and not a result of any externally induced change; and that descent among the Mundurucu is a principle of social classification that has little to do with the organization of either technical or ceremonial activities. A comparison of Mundurucu and Sanuma (Yanoama) descent concepts in this regard is also presented.