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Struggle Between the Life Realities and Identity to the Mainstream Society: A Study on the Logics of the House in Longji Zhuang People, Guangxi

Articles
Lixin GUO (Sun Yat-sen University)
Year: 
2008
Volume: 
6
Number: 
1 & 2
Page: 
173-218
Full Text Download (PDF): 
Abstract: 

The paper attempts to analyze how the people of Zhuang Nationality construct the logics of their houses at Longji, Guangxi province, in their coping with the needs of life realities and identity to the mainstream society. No matter whether they ascribe the origin of life to the imaginary garden, or they attribute the value of the household to the shrine, which symbolizes the state authority, Longji Zhuang people have the logics that fostering is the important life reality. Their social structure is dualistic centralism which does not take into consideration of the differences between men and women, and they tend to regard the spouse as siblings, and being the ambilineal descent whose society groupings is based on the center of their own household. The logics of fostering makes the labor corporation of husband and wife become very important, and the most important value of marriage is not sex and reproduction of offspring, but fostering the house members through the labor of the couple, therefore the parent-child relationship is formed in the fostering process, too.

Journal of History and Anthropology