Page 34 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Sociology of Kinship

Notes In fact a family was blood relatives earlier, thereafter group-family, syndersmain family, pa-
ternal family and at last stage of monogamous family arrived. From this historical system of
Morgan, theories of evolution of marriage and family were propunded.
Toyler had told about the evolution of religion. According to him, “Religion was evoluted from
polythecism to monotheism.” Spensor was also a supporter of Toyler’s view. It was belief of
Spensor that all rituals, acts, etc., were originated from ancestor-worship and its basis was fear.
According to him, “all religions originated due to fear of dead persons and all societies were
originated due to fear of living persons.”
Toyler considers the origin of religion on the basis of the faith in soul and souls are many there-
fore, polytheism originated first of all and later on it arrived in the stage of monotheism. More
studies were made on the basis of the system of evolutionary approach, the order of their evolu-
tion is different, such as—Cyclic Theory of Sorokin.
In social and cultural dynamics, Sorokin has tried to understand and explained the descrip-
tion of social and cultural change through evolutionary approach (historical study system). His
belief is that evolution of culture in the society is propagated and exchanged from the stages of
cultures of ponderable, indealistic and perceptual types. He proved by presenting the historical
facts of the cultures of several societies that there are a cycles of cultures also. There exist cyclic
ups and downs in cultures continously. The process of ups and down runs between ponderable
and perceptual cultures. In this process of ups and down, the culture has to pass through the
stage of idealistic culture in its middle. Sorokin believes that change in society takes place by
movement in cyclic order in different forms of cultures.
Contribution of Spengler can also be seen in this form of study system as he propounded the cy-
clic theory of civilisation on the basis of the study of world history in “The Decline of the West”.
He gave the conclusion that all culture remain changing in regular stages like spring, summer,
rainy and winter seasons.
Toynbi had also studied civilisations and described the cyclic change in order of the develop-
ment, stability and decline of civilizations. Many scholars in sociology have propounded evolu-
tionary approach, evolutionary study system and evolutionary principle. But, there are limita-
tions and shortcomings of this systems also.

In 1859 A.D., Charles Darwin had published a book named “Origin of Species”,
in which he propounded the theory of origin evolution through evolutionary
approach.

Critical Evaluation of Evolutionary Approach

Many scientist had quoted the shortcomings and limitations of evolutionary approach—some
important evaluation of them are presented over here, which are related to the study of kinship
also—
1. According to Redcliff Brown and Malinowski the evolutionary approach cannot be used
in those societies for which historical authentic facts are unavailable. Due to this scholars
says that evolutionary approach and system are not fully authentic and reliable .
2. It is not possible to test the gathered facts, as well as affected relations and conclusions of
them under evolutionay approach. In this system, the conclusion are derived from the help
of the facts based on predictions and conjectures, which are not possible to be testified.
3. Some critics say that through evolutionary approach, it is difficult to understand the past
of society. Through this, conclusions is not possible also. This approach is quite unuseful

28 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY