The Nuclear Family versus the Men's House? A re-examination of Mundurucu Sociality

It has been posited that in communities with residential men's houses there is perforce no nuclear family. This position is examined with reference to the published data on the Mundurucu of Central Brazil. Comparative data are also examined from Oceania and elsewhere. The conclusion is that the two institutions do indeed co-exist in the Mundurucu case.