Sociology and Space, No. 40-42, 1973.
Review article
The Clan Family Framework in Montenegro
Novo Vujošević
Abstract
When we study the family in societies like the Montenegrin, in which tribal
institutions have long existed, we must study it as part of a clan, which is a
the family. The clan family framework had a great influence on
the development of the family, which was linked to it in many ways.. Using this
as a starting point, the author tries to show the specific relations between the
family, the clan and kinship on the mother’s (female) side.
In the first part of the paper the clan framework is analysed in its original
form, as it existed in Montenegro tribal society. It can be seen that the family
was the basic structural unit of the clan as a social and blood group, and that
there was a high degree of identification of the family with the clan. Clan norms
and the whole clan organization influenced family functions and the character
of relations between family members. Kinship on the mother's side did not »hold
on« to the family as strongly as the clan kinship, but was nevertheless present
in the life of the family.
Changes that took place in the clan framework are analyzed in the second
part of the paper. They are observed through the process of family individualization
with regard to the clan framework. The individualization of the family
implies a gradual transformation of the clan. The clan loses many of the characteristics
that made it a compact social and blood group. With the loss of those
characteristics, the family gradually »frees« itself from the »grasp« of the clan and
starts to live more its own life than that of the clan. Such changes, which were
very turbulent, were often resisted by the remains of the patriarchal society. They
tried to influence a stronger feeling of belonging to the clan, which prologs thegathering of people on the basis of a blood (clan) relationship.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
119652
URI
Publication date:
7.12.1973.
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