The developmental cycle of the domestic group as described by the anthropologist Mayer Fortes is as follows:
1. The domestic group is in a state of equilibrium, where all members are equally contributing to the group and there is a sense of harmony and balance.
2. A disturbance or challenge to the equilibrium occurs, which leads to tension and conflict within the group.
3. The tension and conflict leads to a reorganization of the group, in which new roles and hierarchies are established.
4. The new roles and hierarchies stabilize the group and allow it to return to a state of equilibrium.
The developmental cycle of the domestic group is important to understanding how groups change and adapt over time.
According to Fortes, the key to a successful adaptation is a flexible and adaptable domestic group. A group that is able to quickly adapt to changes in its environment is more likely to survive and thrive than a group that is rigid and inflexible. This helps to explain why some groups are more successful than others in coping with challenges, and it provides insight into the dynamics of social change.
Related Terms:
Social change – The transformation of social structures and institutions over time.
Tension – A feeling of unease or anxiety caused by opposing forces.
Conflict – A situation in which two or more parties are in disagreement.
Reorganization – A process of change in which new roles and hierarchies are established.
Flexibility – The ability to quickly adapt to changes in one’s environment.
Rigidity – The inability to adapt to changes in one’s environment.
Glossary Terms starting with D
- Debt Slavery – Entrapping Workers in a Cycle of Unpayable Debt
- Democracy – When all Citizens have an Equal Vote
- Demography – A Branch of Sociology that studies Human Populations
- Despotism – A Single Ruler who has Absolute Power
- Development – The process of Economic, Social and Cultural change
- Developmental Cycle of the Domestic Group – How Groups Change and Adapt Over Time
- Dialect – A Variety of a Language that has its own unique features
- Dialectic Reasoning – A Debate that Leads to a Conclusion
- Discrimination – Treating People Differently based on their Race, Gender or Other Characteristics
- Divination – Gaining Information through Supernatural Means
- Division of Labour – Assigning Tasks in such a way as to Enable Specialisation
- Domestic Mode of Production – Producing Goods for the Family
- Duolocal Residence – When Husband and Wife Live Separately
- Durkheim, Émile: The Father of Sociology and His Contributions to Anthropology
- Dowry – A Form of Marriage Payment
- Dynasty – A Line of Hereditary Rulers
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