"This paper presents an exploratory attempt to solve the problem of how to infer traits for which no direct material evidence remains." The author suggests that the archeologically defined community pattern can predict several sociocultural traits. Results support this hypothesis.

This study employs factor analysis to develop a settlement pattern scale of cultural complexity. Political, economic, and religious factors are identified and implications for the structure of the cultural system are discussed.

The author utilizes Beardsley et al.'s (1956) settlement pattern typology to develop a five-rank scale of cultural complexity. The scale was developed using 30 traits converted into categorical form. The scale is designed for use by archaeologists to infer or presume the existence of certain nonmaterial cultural traits in a given society.

The author analyzes the association between joking behavior and four types of instutionalized potential marriage relationships. Results show a tendency for a joking relationship to occur in all cases.

This study differentiates between circumcision and supercision, two male genital mutilations which are thought to correlate with different gender socialization processes. Results suggest that circumcision occurs in societies with higher sexual differentiation in socialization while supercision occurs in societies with lower sexual differentiation in socialization.

Ackerman performs a cross-cultural analysis on the structural determinants of divorce rate as originally hypothesized by Max Gluckman and elaborated on by other researchers. Ackerman's results suggest that when spouses share a network of affiliation, divorce rates are low; when spouses maintain separate affiliations, divorce rates are high. Ackerman's statistical analysis and discussion provide an explanatory framework for further research.

Sampling 62 societies from the HRAF database (32 bilateral, 21 patrilineal, 6 matrilineal, and 3 double-unilineal societies)the author asks whether divorce rates can be predicted by the descent systems or the network of marriage affiliations. Findings do not support the theory that divorce rates will be predicted by descent (patrilineal vs bilateral) - but they are more consistent with the idea that conjunctive affiliations are predictive of low divorce rates in bilateral societies. In lineal societies the levirate is used as an indicator.

Weiss examines the ethnological, medical, and psychoanalytic literature to better understand what incites preliterate and literate societies to practice male circumcision. The review suggests there is vast cross-cultural variability for the operation and the resulting implications, or lack thereof, but no hypothesis tests are made.

This study presents a sociological theory of marriage type based on socioeconomic organization. Results suggest that intensive agriculture, more stratification, greater political integration, a fixed settlement pattern, a larger population, and greater labor specialization tended to be correlates of monogamy.

This book investigates a broad hypothesis linking social solidarity and initiation ceremonies. The author proposes that “the degree of solidarity of a given social system determines the degree to which status transitions within it will be dramatized” (1). A variety of operational hypotheses are supported for both male and female initiation ceremonies.