ECU Libraries Catalog

Song Family Village. 1, The Secret of the Stone : Segmentary Lineage Organization in a North China Village / a film by Gary Seaman, Zhifang Song, Steven Schindler.

Other author/creatorSong, Zhifang, 1947- director.
Other author/creatorSeaman, Gary, 1942- director.
Other author/creatorSchindler, Steven (Rousso-Schindler), director.
Format Electronic and Video (Streaming)
Publication Info London, England : Royal Anthropological Institute, 2009.
Description1 online resource (40 minutes)
Supplemental Content https://go.openathens.net/redirector/ecu.edu?url=http://www.aspresolver.com/aspresolver.asp?MARC;3233284
Subject(s)
Abstract Located on the North China Plain about 200 miles south of Beijing, 'Song Family Village' is home to about 1,300 people. Some 80% of all villagers are members of a single lineage of the Song surname.The film documents New Year's customs to demonstrate the segmentary structure of the Song family lineage. Ancestor temples provide the focus for collective rituals that express historical growth and subsequent fissioning into lineage segments. Minimal segments (Wufu or mourning groups) are shown as interaction groups focused on the household shrines of senior living agnates. Although the Communist-led Cultural Revolution tried to eliminate traditional kin-based institutions, this film shows that segmentary lineages are still a vigorous aspect of life in this North China village.
General noteTitle from resource description page (viewed June 24, 2016).
LanguageEnglish narration. Includes segments in Mandarin with English subtitles.
Genre/formDocumentary films.
Genre/formEthnographic films.

Available Items

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