The conditions favoring multilocal residence

Southwestern Journal of Anthropology • Vol/Iss. 28 • Published In • Pages: 382-400 •
By Ember, Carol R., Ember, Melvin

Abstract

This paper presents empirical evidence suggesting that multilocal residence is most common in societies that have experienced depopulation, likely due to the introduction of a new infectious disease. Other potential explanatory variables—such as the presence of migratory bands, little or no agriculture, and equality of the sexes in inheritance—were not significant predictors of multilocal residence when controlling for depopulation.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Ethnographic Atlas (EA)

Hypotheses (5)

HypothesisSupported
". . . Multilocality should be favored by the conditions of life in migratory band societies" (383)Supported
The relative absence of agriculture will be associated with multilocality (385)Supported
"Societies with equality of the sexes in inheritance should tend to have two or more fairly frequent patterns of consanguineal residence" (386)Supported
"Multilocal residence may have developed because of depopulation induced by European contact, specifically as a result of European-introduced infectious diseases" (386)Supported
"Unilocal societies may be transformed into multilocal societies because of depopulation . . . among relatively sedentary societies with more than 15 percent dependence on agriculture . . . and in societies lacking in equality of inheritance" (393, 394)Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: mas  Amelia Piazza  Christina Carolus