phratry

social groups

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July 23, 2026

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A phratry is a tribal subdivision, often an exogamous group that includes several clans. Phratries are a form of social organization where groups of related clans are grouped together, typically in sets of three or more. Among some Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains, phratries regulated marriage and other activities. For example, among the Kaw people, 16 clans were organized into 7 phratries. Phratries are distinct from moieties, which always occur in pairs and may or may not comprise groups of clans.123

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Melanesian culture
Kinship and local groups
The segmentary structures, or phratries—essentially groups of clans that share a mythical ancestor—characteristically use brother-brother and father-son links to represent what were once in fact relatively unstable political alliances. Phratries were important when intergroup warfare was common because they provided a structure through which to conjoin otherwise distantly related…
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The segmentary structures, or phratries—essentially groups of clans that share a mythical ancestor—characteristically use brother-brother and father-son links to represent what were once in fact relatively unstable political alliances. Phratries were important when intergroup warfare was common because they provided a structure through which to conjoin otherwise distantly related…
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moiety system
…often referred to interchangeably with phratries and clans, they are distinct from these phenomena. By definition, phratries comprise groups of related clans and occur in sets of three or more; moieties may, but need not, comprise groups of clans but always occur in pairs. Clans, in turn, emphasize descent from…
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…often referred to interchangeably with phratries and clans, they are distinct from these phenomena. By definition, phratries comprise groups of related clans and occur in sets of three or more; moieties may, but need not, comprise groups of clans but always occur in pairs. Clans, in turn, emphasize descent from…
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