Talk:Tikopia

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[edit] Material removed

The following material was removed or sentences adapted. Without access to the Firth book myself, I cannot judge whether what is said is an accurate portrayal of his writing. I do think it is an interesting overview, however, so if someone can verify it, I would suggest re-adding it somehow. BrainyBabe 14:09, 2 July 2007 (UTC)

New Zealand anthropologist, Raymond Firth, who lived on Tikopia in 1928 and 1929 found a "cult of virginity" and widespread infanticide among the islanders, whom he described as gentle and loving. Reproductive policy was particularly restrictive, however: only the eldest son in each family was allowed to have children and when an unwanted child was born, the face of the child was "turned down", a euphemism for infanticide. The most common method was the deliberate blocking of the infant's nasal passages by an adult's fingers. Today, Firth's "cult of virginity" is long since gone. While the reasons for this might be regarded as due to the introduction of Christianity, there is an important demographic element as well: many of the young men leave the island, heading to either the Russell Islands or the national capital, Honiara, in search of work. As a result of this outflow of men, population control is less necessary.