The Family among the Australian Aborigines, a Sociological StudyMalinowski, Bronislaw
History
The Family among the Australian Aborigines, a Sociological Study
Malinowski, Bronislaw
Aboriginal Australians -- Social life and customs; Ethnology -- Australia; Families -- History
In the first place, we may assume in this society, as in the whole of
mankind and in the majority of higher animals, a physiological basis
for jealousy in the form of an innate instinct;[346] a natural aversion
of an individual towards an encroachment on his sexual rights and a
natural tendency to expand these rights as far as possible--within
certain variable limits. That among the Australian aborigines such
instincts of jealousy are not absent, that they are, on the contrary,
very strongly developed, is evident from nearly all the facts quoted
and all general considerations. It is proved by the high esteem in
which in some tribes chastity is held; by the fact that fidelity is
required in all other tribes, and that it yields only to custom. The
demand for fidelity in all tribes has been discussed above. There
is a whole series of statements that emphatically affirm a very
strong feeling of jealousy; and connected with it is the fact that
the majority of fights and quarrels are about women (Curr, Dawson,
Mrs. Parker, Schürmann, Wilhelmi, Wilkes, Turnbull, Phillipps, Tench,
Spencer and Gillen). Now, that these instincts of jealousy do not
assume the delicate and refined form they possess in our society,
results merely from the difference in the corresponding collective
ideas which influence and mould the elementary instinct.
[346] This expression is perhaps inexact. But this is not
the place for psychological and biological analyses. The
reader may be referred to Dr. Westermarck's conclusion
that there is a strong instinct of sexual jealousy among
primitive races of men, both in males (_H.H.M._,
pp. 117-132) and in females (_ibid._, pp. 495-500). This
instinct is inherited from our animal ancestors (compare
Darwin, _Descent of Man_, ii. p. 395). Important for us are
the examples of female jealousy, quoted by Westermarck from
the Australian material; Narrinyeri, Taplin, p. 11; Palmer,
p. 282; Lumholtz, p. 213; Waitz Gerland, pp. 758, 781.
With our few data available we can attempt only a sketch of the
psychology of the feelings of jealousy among the aborigines. It may be
observed that although the sentiment of sexual love might be postulated
in all human hearts, it seems to be, to a certain extent, banished from
the majority of the Australian matrimonial matches by the very way in
which they were brought about.[347]
[347] Compare above, p. 83.
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