ˈtōd.əˌmizəm, -ōtəˌ- noun
( -s )
Etymology: totem + -ism
1.
a. : belief in kinship with or a mystical relationship between a group or an individual and a totem
totemism … derives whole tribes or families from an animal or plant — Internat'l Encyc.
with the idea of the powerful animal totemism is closely connected — J.E.Turner
b. : the rites and practices (as food and word taboos) associated with a totemic relationship
totemism , one element of which is that the human group generally respects all members of the totem class and refrains from eating them — A.C.Andrews
2. : a system of social organization based on totemic affiliations
the primary object of totemism was to implement the incest taboo — African Abstracts