ABSTRACT
ALTHOUGHaddressedtotheproblemofunilateralcross-cousinmarriage,thispaperisprimarilyconcernedwiththemethodologicalissues involvedintheexplanationofthis,orofany structuraltype,andmoreparticularlywiththe relativemeritsoffunctionalandcausalexplanations.Cross-cousinmarriageprovidesausefulvehiclefortheexaminationofthesedifferent explanatorymodesbecausetherecentcontroversyIconcerningdifferentialcross-cousin marriageraisesmostoftheimportantissues entailedinanthropologicalexplanationingeneral,andincausalversusfunctionalexplanationsinparticular.
