The problem around which this thesis is written
concerns the relation of myth to social organization in a
small society. The society chosen for intensive study is
Cape Madge, British Columbia, a Kwakiutl village of the
Southern Lekwiltok group on the Northwest coast of North
America.
That myth and social organization are bound in
together in a total system of social relations has been
demonstrated for primitive societies by such eminent
anthropologists as Raymond Firth, Bronislaw Malinowski, and
Sir Peter Buck for the Oceanic area. The material gathered
by Boas for the Kwakiutl of the Northwest coast of North
America implies the same for traditional Kwakiutl society.
Myths interact with all other elements of social structure
and organization, so that the total system of social relations
in the society is not to be understood without an understanding
of the role of myth in providing a wide frame of reference
within which the total social behavior of the members of the
society becomes significant. This proposition has been
accepted into the body of generalizations about primitive
society built up In the field of anthropology. It does not
Imply a conception of society as an apparatus maintaining the
culture as it is, since all cultures are changing by the
stresses inherent in social interaction and by the choices open to individuals. The empirical data brought forward in
this thesis to support the assumption that myth and social
organisation are bound together in a system of social
relationships demonstrate that such a system is not closed,
but open to adjustment without apparent opposition.
This thesis is an attempt to give fuller meaning
to the generalisation that the myths of a people are bound
into the total system of social relations. The proposition
advanced here is that even under conditions of advanced acculturation (to Western European culture) in a small once tribal society, myth will play a part. Where the old myths
fade, new ones will arise to take their places in the, changing social context. The alteration of social structure,
of social organisation, and of the roles played by
individuals will create the need for maintaining some ancient
myths that underwrite the worthiness of the individual and
group. New myths will arise to justify rapidly changing
patterns of behavior under the impact of Euro-American
culture. This proposition has been tested and supported by
the data derived from field work.
Upon the basis of the affirmation of this proposition
by data derived in a small society in the process of
rapid change, the above hypothesis may be generalised to
suggest that in all tribal societies moving rapidly into the
orbit of advanced ones, myth will not be lost. Just as social structure, social organization and the roles of individuals
will change feat be fitted into new configurations, so myth
will not disappear but be transfigured or newly created in
order to meet the needs of people for an understanding of
their changing existence.
The operation of myth and social context In Cape
Hudge society today is discussed in this thesis by reference
to the operation of myths in two important areas of social
organizations social control and values. The exploration
of myth in these areas touches upon most aspects of life in
the village.
Intensive field work was of one month's duration
in the summer of 1963 when I lived with my husband and three
children in the village but casual contacts and interest in
the village had extended over a ten-year period prior to the
formal study. The contacts made by my husband, two teen-age
children and on pre-school child extended the range of
social contacts very considerably. The definition of my
position as wife and mother was of prime importance to my
ready acceptance. The villagers had happily been introduced
to anthropologists through Helen Codere who left behind an
atmosphere of admiration and trust. The villagers expressed
the opinion that other villages were getting anthropologists
interested in them and they thought it was high time for
someone from the University to come again. The field work situation could not have been more propitious I wish to
express my sincere regard for the great achievements of
these people and my thanks for their generosity and
hospitality. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/41701 |
| Date | January 1965 |
| Creators | Inglis, Joyce Gloria |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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