Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- List of tables
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- A note on orthography
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The language of classification
- 3 Processes of identification and the structure of categories
- 4 The relations between non-basic categories
- 5 Consistency, sharing and flexibility
- 6 Social intrusions and cultural styles
- 7 Changes in classifying behaviour
- 8 Cognition and the cultural relations of prehension
- Appendix 1 Checklist of terrestrial mammal fauna (excluding bats) recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 2 Checklist of bats (CHIROPTERA) recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 3 Checklist of birds recorded in and around the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 4 Checklist of testudines recorded for the Nuaulu area of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 5 Checklist of lizards and related forms recorded for the Nuaulu area of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 6 Checklist of snakes recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 7 Checklist of amphibians recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 8 Checklist of fishes and marine mammals recorded in and around the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 9 Checklist of insects recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 10 Checklist of molluscs recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 11 Checklist of Crustacea recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 12 Checklist of Arachnid specimens recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 13 Checklist of annelids, echinoderms, myriapods and related forms featuring in Nuaulu terminology and knowledge, 1970–75
- Notes
- References
- Author index
- Subject index
- Index of Nuaulu animal names
- Index of scientific names for animal species mentioned in the text
- Cambridge Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology
4 - The relations between non-basic categories
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 January 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- List of tables
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- A note on orthography
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The language of classification
- 3 Processes of identification and the structure of categories
- 4 The relations between non-basic categories
- 5 Consistency, sharing and flexibility
- 6 Social intrusions and cultural styles
- 7 Changes in classifying behaviour
- 8 Cognition and the cultural relations of prehension
- Appendix 1 Checklist of terrestrial mammal fauna (excluding bats) recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 2 Checklist of bats (CHIROPTERA) recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 3 Checklist of birds recorded in and around the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 4 Checklist of testudines recorded for the Nuaulu area of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 5 Checklist of lizards and related forms recorded for the Nuaulu area of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 6 Checklist of snakes recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 7 Checklist of amphibians recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 8 Checklist of fishes and marine mammals recorded in and around the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 9 Checklist of insects recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 10 Checklist of molluscs recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 11 Checklist of Crustacea recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 12 Checklist of Arachnid specimens recorded in the Nuaulu region of south central Seram, 1970–75
- Appendix 13 Checklist of annelids, echinoderms, myriapods and related forms featuring in Nuaulu terminology and knowledge, 1970–75
- Notes
- References
- Author index
- Subject index
- Index of Nuaulu animal names
- Index of scientific names for animal species mentioned in the text
- Cambridge Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology
Summary
Absolute definitions of higher categories are impossible. One of the unique characteristics of the species is that it can be and is defined without reference to any other category. Definitions of higher categories can only be relative to those of other categories, specifying relative ranks in the hierarchy and set relationships to taxa
[Simpson, 1961: 196].Order and disorder in Nuaulu conceptions of nature
Simpson, of course, is speaking here of the taxonomic practice of biologists. Nevertheless, his remarks are highly pertinent to the examination of folk-biological classifications. I wish to argue in this chapter that even if we agree that it is possible to locate basic categories which have a strong likelihood of corresponding with cognitive prototypes contingent upon objective discontinuities in nature, and which therefore present a ready point of reference in cross-cultural studies, this is far less likely to be so when we are dealing with more inclusive categories. This is because it is more difficult to ensure that the categories we discover are fully contrastable, operating at the same ‘level’, regularly labelled, non-overlapping, and generally shared within a population. Paul Taylor [1990: 68] voices this scepticism when he rhetorically presumes that those who claim some distinctive characteristics for levels above basic categories [e.g. Brown, 1979; Witkowski and Brown, 1977] are able to identify those levels to which their generalisations apply. The difficulties seem to me to arise for two contradictory reasons.
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- Information
- The Cultural Relations of ClassificationAn Analysis of Nuaulu Animal Categories from Central Seram, pp. 93 - 125Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1993