The objective of this paper is to describe the significance and limits of the Hammel and Laslett model, a classification model of household structures frequently used in the field of historical demography, and to discuss the possibility of its modification. The significance of the Hammel and Laslett model lies in its capability of analyzing a variety of household structures ranging from single households to more complicated composite family households. The model is useful for comparative analyses of household structures. However, some researchers, particularly those studying societies where complicated family structures are prevalent, criticize the model, for its inability of classifying complicated family structures. Also, the model has a fundamental problem with its classification criteria. In this paper, those criticisms against the model are sorted out, their causes are elucidated, and limits of the model are clarified. Furthermore, the paper shows that the limits can be overcome by making a minimum modification to the model. Calling it "the modified Hammel and Laslett model", the paper proposes a possibility to make the model truly viable for the diachronic and transcultural classification comparison.

特集家族とその社会的生活世界の探求
論文