Factors and Patterns: The Nature of Sociocultural Variation

Abstract

A factor analysis of selected Ethnographic Atlas variables (including re gional location), performed on a sample of 200 societies, indicates that much of the variance generated cross-culturally must be explained by processes that are less than hologeistic in their range. Certain well-estab lished universal relationships-e.g., that linking demographic size and or ganizational complexity, and those linking kin terminological systems with descent and preferred marriage patterns-do emerge in the factor structure. In contrast, however, several of the factors in the structure appear to be the result of processes that are localized in geographic distribution and historic tradition. In this latter category, most notably, is a factor linking bilateral cross-cousin marriage, balanced subsistence dependence on cul tivation and hunting, small community size, and simple sociopolitical or ganization in a regional context of South America. Collateral analysis of this pattern with ethnographic data supports the hypothesis that bilateral cross-cousin marriage serves specific adaptive functions in a well-delimited ecological zone of South America. The main significance of the analysis lies in its possible application to the development of quasi-natural tax onomies of on-the-ground social systems which interest not only the cross- cultural comparativist, but also social anthropologists.