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
3 - Processes of identification and the structure of 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
Introduction
I would like to begin this chapter by drawing a distinction between identification and classification. At one level, there is no difference between the two: both processes concern the allocation of an item to a (usually) named category, or the process by which an object is placed in a class. Both entail the matching of perceptual images, words and concepts [Ohnuki-Tierney, 1981: 453], and may operate equally in terms of unmodified sense data or their cultural representations. One logically presupposes the existence of the other [Colless, 1970: 252]. A pragmatic distinction can be made, however, in terms of the way in which Nuaulu informants assign observed animal specimens to terminal categories and the way in which categories are arranged into more inclusive groups. This is reflected linguistically in the difference between the statements:
x (an object) is a y
and
y is a kind of z
Both are relations of class inclusion but are distinguished in most languages, including Nuaulu. Thus the statement:
tekene rei mainase-nea (pointing to an animal)
that snake is a Pacific boa (Candoia carinata)
is one of identification, where the terminal -nea in this context denotes demonstrative emphasis; whereas the statement
mainase rei nita tekene oi
that Pacific boa is a type of snake too
is an abstract statement of classification.
Identifying animals in natural settings
The question as to what is a culturally appropriate identification is itself problematic. Why should the ethnographer accept one person's answer against another?
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cultural Relations of ClassificationAn Analysis of Nuaulu Animal Categories from Central Seram, pp. 65 - 92Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1993