A Hidden Dimension of Family Development in the Modern Kingdom of Tonga

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Abstract
The significance of geographically dispersed networks of kinsmen as analytical isolates in the conceptualization of the family is illustrated for the modern Kingdom of Tonga. During the phase of dispersion in the developmental cycles of Tongan domestic groups, relations among widely dispersed siblings and their families of procreation constitute family estates with corporate qualities. These discrete networks of relationships, strongly patterned through traditional concepts of kinship rank, are the channels through which individual social and economic mobility occurs in Tonga. Two case examples describe variations in family estate relationships. It is suggested that the dispersed family estate is as crucial a dimension of analysis in family studies as domestic or household groups localized in communities. The comparative significance of the family estate construct is noted particularly for island areas of the world.

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