ABSTRACT
T a h i t i a n p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n the cash economy was deeply in f luenc ing
the way k insmenTela ted to one another.
Social theorists have l o n g posited a func t iona l re la t ionsh ip between
economic change, and changes i n the size, compos i t ion and functions
of f a m i l i a l groupings i n the indus t r ia l ized nations of the West. M a x
Weber (1950:111), for example, advanced the thesis that r educ t ion i n
fami ly size and cohesiveness fo l lowed d i rec t ly f r o m indus t r i a l i za t ion .
T h e wor ld -wide spread of the i n d u s t r i a l system and the appearance of
