matrilocality

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I have just finished reading William Divale's "Matrilocality in Preliterate
Society" and was struck by its potential usefullness for the study of
prehistoric cultures. Dean Snow of the SUNY Albany has invoked Divale's
study as supporting a theory of late migration of the Northern Iroquoians
into the Lower Great Lakes area where a long "in situ" development has
hitherto been assumed. My question to anthropologists on the net is this:
has there been any criticismof Divales work, my review of the literature
has failed to turn up any. Does anyone have an opinion regarding Divales
theory which basically says that Patrilocality is by basic human form while
Matrilocality develops only in situations such as migration since it
minimizes internal conflict by breaking up fraternal interest groups so
that they may concentrate conflicts externally.

Daniel Robert
Trent University
DROBERT@TRENTU.CA

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