Method in the Study of Totemism

The essay examines methodological problems in defining and tracing totemism, responding to critiques that isolated features cannot be projected into a general origin. It evaluates five commonly cited symptoms—exogamous clans, clan names derived from totems, religious attitudes toward totems, taboos on killing or eating them, and beliefs in descent—and argues that totemic names and exogamy form the essential type from which divergences arise. Comparative discussion of Australian and northwestern North American societies illustrates how cultural conditions, diffusion, and social change produce variant institutions, and the piece defends starting from universal features while acknowledging exceptions and the role of borrowing.