Post #211969 by amiotiki on Wed, Feb 1, 2006 10:31 AM

Hey JT, this is an interesting topic! Most cultural anthropologists don't think of cultures so much as matriarchal or patriarchal - the more important traits or features are whether the societies are matrilineal or patrilineal. What these terms mean is that the lines of inheritance (including chieftanships, possessions, land, rights, etc.) are passed along either through the female line (matri) or male line (patri). In either one it isn't unusual for either a man or a woman to be a clan leader, though the usual pattern is male - in a matrilineal society it is often the matriarch's brother - not spouse - who is the 'alpha male'. This lineality characteristic generally has a strong influence on who raises offspring also. Family "A" will send their child to be raised (fostered) by its mother's brother (avunculocal fostering). Obviously, this can get really complicated...but the idea is that these interfamilial ties create societal cohesiveness - at least up to a certain population density/tribal size. I'm not particularly knowledgable about how either social structure affects the aggressiveness of various groups, but I would hazard a guess that environmental pressures are a greater trigger than whether a tribe is lead by a man or a woman.

Thanks for opening this line of conversation!

You can use wikipedia.com to learn more about how specific indigenous societies are (or were) structured - or try the search engine dogpile.com (my personal fave).

amiotiki