SOC1016A - Lecture 02SOC1016A - Lecture 02

Family and KinshipFamily and Kinship

Last week:Last week:

Social Anthropology explores the Social Anthropology explores the cultural dimension of social institutions. cultural dimension of social institutions. Its perspective is:Its perspective is:

- HolisticHolistic

- ComparativeComparative

In this lecture:In this lecture:

KinshipKinship is the most important social is the most important social institution in many simple, stateless institution in many simple, stateless societies. In these settings, societies. In these settings, social social organisationorganisation is often structured along is often structured along kinship principleskinship principles..

Cultural dimension of kinship. In different Cultural dimension of kinship. In different societies one finds different ideas about societies one finds different ideas about how to classify somebody’s kin. There are how to classify somebody’s kin. There are notnot necessarily related to “blood ties”. necessarily related to “blood ties”.

Kinship: basic terminology (1)Kinship: basic terminology (1)

Lateral relativesLateral relatives (aunts, uncles, and (aunts, uncles, and cousins)cousins)

Lineal relativesLineal relatives (through generations) (through generations) LineageLineage = set of individuals who can = set of individuals who can

indicate their common descent from a indicate their common descent from a common ancestorcommon ancestor

ClanClan = set of individuals who assume a = set of individuals who assume a shared descentshared descent

Kinship: basic terminology (2)Kinship: basic terminology (2)

■ ■ Transmission of kin:Transmission of kin:- patrilinealpatrilineal- matrilinealmatrilineal- doubledouble- cognatecognate- parallelparallel- crossingcrossing

■ ■ Corporate kin groupCorporate kin group = new members are = new members are recruited through genealogical principlesrecruited through genealogical principles

Kin groupsKin groups can form the basis for political can form the basis for political stability. One can trust one’s relatives stability. One can trust one’s relatives because there is a web of because there is a web of obligations/sanctions.obligations/sanctions.

Kinship is thus related to Kinship is thus related to - political stabilitypolitical stability- Inheritance, transmission of resourcesInheritance, transmission of resources- Succession, transmission of rights, duties, Succession, transmission of rights, duties,

statusstatus

Kinship: conventional signsKinship: conventional signs

Case-study 1: the Trobriand Case-study 1: the Trobriand IslandersIslanders

Society based on Society based on matrilineal clansmatrilineal clans (“dala”).(“dala”).

But this does not mean that this is a But this does not mean that this is a matriarchalmatriarchal society. Each clan has a male society. Each clan has a male chief, and men control political and chief, and men control political and economic activities (e.g. land rights)economic activities (e.g. land rights)

Why then matrilineal clans? The answer is Why then matrilineal clans? The answer is to be found in their beliefs about to be found in their beliefs about conception and women’s natural powers. conception and women’s natural powers.

On the TrobriandersOn the Trobrianders

A. B. Weiner, A. B. Weiner, The Trobrianders of The Trobrianders of Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea, 1988, 1988

Film: Film: The Trobriand Islanders of Papua The Trobriand Islanders of Papua New GuineaNew Guinea, 1952, 1952

Case-study 2: the Nuer of SudanCase-study 2: the Nuer of Sudan

The “Ghost Marriage”The “Ghost Marriage”

Genitor / PaterGenitor / Pater

Genitrix / MaterGenitrix / Mater

For the Nuer people, then:For the Nuer people, then:

- Lineage does not depend on blood- Lineage does not depend on blood

- Kinship ≠ genealogical connections- Kinship ≠ genealogical connections

On the NuerOn the Nuer

E. E. Evans-Pritchard, E. E. Evans-Pritchard, Kinship and Kinship and Marriage among the NuerMarriage among the Nuer, 1951., 1951.

ConclusionsConclusions

Kinship is a Kinship is a social institutionsocial institution, , which has to do with politics, which has to do with politics, economics, religion, cosmology, etceconomics, religion, cosmology, etc

Kinship systems do not merely follow Kinship systems do not merely follow from biological kin relations, but are from biological kin relations, but are socially constructedsocially constructed

Why this is relevant to us:Why this is relevant to us:

1- Against Sociobiology1- Against Sociobiology

2- Current socio-political issues. 2- Current socio-political issues.

Case-study on East LondonCase-study on East London

((M. Young, P. Wilmott, M. Young, P. Wilmott, Family and Kinship in East Family and Kinship in East LondonLondon))

3- Current debates on new reproductive 3- Current debates on new reproductive technologiestechnologies