ABSTRACT
The Hsu thesis concerning the "dominance" of basic kin relationships is certain to generate controversy. For one thing, Hsu's general formulation offers a provocative view of the causal influence of specific dyadic kin relationships upon much of the content of culture. No less provocative are his postulates concerning the influence of particular "dominant relation ships" within particular cultural systems. I t is no exaggeration to conclude that a serious examination of the Hsu thesis calls forth a bewildering vari ety of problems, many of which are fundamental to an understanding of the structure, process, and content of social systems.
