The Conceptual Structure of Kinship Terms among the Yi and Bai Peoples: A Comparison with the Kinship Term Conceptual Structure of the Mosuo
This study uses a free classification method to investigate the conceptual structure of kinship terms among the Yi and Bai ethnic groups in China, comparing results with the Mosuo people. Findings show that the semantic space of Yi kinship terms comprises two dimensions: "nature of kinship relation" and "gender," while Bai kinship terms are structured by "gender" and "nature of kinship relation." Influenced by a historical hierarchical (formerly slave-based) social system, the Yi retain a "male superior, female inferior" gender ideology, favoring male and patrilineal relatives. In contrast, shaped by matrilineal cultural traditions, the Bai exhibit a "valuing males without devaluing females" attitude, with kinship semantic space and classification trees showing high gender symmetry. Both groups, along with the Mosuo, emphasize the maternal uncle's importance in kinship, reflecting the significance of avuncular authority in human social development. The study illuminates how social structure and language jointly shape ethnic kinship cognition.
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