ABSTRACT
The value o f a new p o i n t o f v iew i n science is shown b y the research w h i c h i t s t imulates, as w e l l as the mater ia l w h i c h i t brings i n t o ordered relat ions. I n these terms, there can be l i t t l e d o u b t tha t the concept o f segmentary lineage systems has p roved t o be valuable b o t h i n f i e l d w o r k and analysis, and has been associated w i t h many o f the mos t i m p o r t a n t developments i n recent social an th ropo logy . I t is therefore w o r t h w h i l e to re-examine its bases, b o t h theore t ica l and me thodo log i ca l ; and this is the task o f the present essay. We shall a t t emp t this task, after g iv ing a b r i e f ou t l i ne o f the concept o f a lineage system, b y consider ing segmentary lineage systems f r o m three po in ts o f v iew: as p o l i t i c a l systems; dynamica l ly , as systems developing i n a par t icu lar w a y , and sharing cer ta in f o r m a l characters; and t h i r d l y , as d i s t inc t categories o f k insh ip system.
