2lA.100 owe Kinshi 1. As an organizing principle for life a. We tend to think of kin as something natural biological or as having some basis beyond culture For example, children reuniting with birth parents b. Kinship is actually highly variable and artificial from one culture to the c. Kinship organizes groups larger than a single family or households d. It can be seen as a form of social engineering 2. We need to start with basic assumptions a. Lots of things are better done in groups Fishing -in Amazon done by stunning the fish in the water and collecting them as they float to the surface Hunting-before horses, plains Indians would herd buffalo off a cliff or into a boxed canyon lll. Agriculture iv. Raising livestock v. Defense b. Social organization Network of people helps deal with Inheritance
21A.100 Prof. Howe Kinship 1. As an organizing principle for life a. We tend to think of kin as something natural, biological or as having some basis beyond culture i. For example, children reuniting with birth parents b. Kinship is actually highly variable and artificial from one culture to the next c. Kinship organizes groups larger than a single family or households d. It can be seen as a form of social engineering 2. We need to start with basic assumptions: a. Lots of things are better done in groups i. Fishing – in Amazon done by stunning the fish in the water and collecting them as they float to the surface ii. Hunting – before horses, plains Indians would herd buffalo off a cliff or into a boxed canyon iii. Agriculture iv. Raising livestock v. Defense b. Social organization i. Network of people helps deal with: 1. Inheritance
3. Performance of rituals Trust is key in these relationship 3. Groups have requirements, in order to be sucessful a. Organization i. Rules of membership:Who’sin?who’sout? ii. When groups become more desirable, how do you keep membership exclusive? e.g. successful Indian Casinos need to regulate who is a member of their tribe ii. Sometimes groups are mutually exclusive- every person is ed to belong to only or 1. Nations 2. Defensive groups b. Groups need to maintain continuity over time Corporation", meaning anything that exists beyond its individual members ii. universities. churches countries c. Need ways to conceptualize group unification i. What do all group members have in common? 1. Blood 2. national
2. Mutual assistance 3. Performance of rituals 4. Trust is key in these relationships 3. Groups have requirements, in order to be sucessful: a. Organization i. Rules of membership: Who’s in? Who’s out? ii. When groups become more desirable, how do you keep membership exclusive? 1. e.g. successful Indian Casinos need to regulate who is a member of their tribe. iii. Sometimes groups are mutually exclusive – every person is supposed to belong to only one 1. Nations 2. Defensive groups b. Groups need to maintain continuity over time i. “Corporation”, meaning anything that exists beyond its individual members ii. universities, churches, countries c. Need ways to conceptualize group unification i. What do all group members have in common? 1. Blood 2. nationality
3. religio d. Rules inspiring loyalty e. Ways of making groups run effectively 4. Many ways to fulfill these requirements a. Bureaucracy 1. a fairly new way of organizing in history l1. Requires writing, sometimes computers Difficult in pre-modern settings b. Formalization of age groups 1. born into an age set ii. You go through life with those people and they perform certain fxn within the society at each stage of life 1. i.e. the Zulu had age-based armies c. Kinship- we are all blood i. See it in all sorts of pre-modern societies ii. We do it to some extent iii. This is a model, NOT real biology iv. Arbitrary in many ways 1. 19 century a big anthropological discovery was that means of establishing kinship differ from one culture to the next 5. Forms of Kinship Organization
3. religion d. Rules inspiring loyalty e. Ways of making groups run effectively 4. Many ways to fulfill these requirements a. Bureaucracy i. a fairly new way of organizing in history ii. Requires writing, sometimes computers iii. Difficult in pre-modern settings b. Formalization of age groups i. Born into an age set ii. You go through life with those people and they perform certain fxn within the society at each stage of life 1. i.e. the Zulu had age-based armies c. Kinship – we are all blood i. See it in all sorts of pre-modern societies ii. We do it to some extent iii. This is a model, NOT real biology iv. Arbitrary in many ways 1. 19th century a big anthropological discovery was that means of establishing kinship differ from one culture to the next 5. Forms of Kinship Organization
Bilateral or Cognatic kinship 1. Theres a single founding ancestor and every descendant gardless of sex is a member ii. The Kuna have groups like this iii. But this puts a single person into many groups simultaneously Patrilineal or Agnatic kinship L. Only the males pass on group membership i1. This doesnt mean that women arent members, they just dont pass on their membership the nuer have this system 2. Euro-American cultures do this to some extent with passing on last names 3. Royal inh iii. These rules get bent Divorce or children out of wedlock iv. Memories of genealogy get faked or altered v. Patrilineal systems turn up in societies around the world-very common with herding economies 1. Seem to be a bit more violence because brothers live with one anotner 2 distinctions: Clans vs Lineages
a. Bilateral or Cognatic kinship i. There’s a single founding ancestor and every descendant, regardless of sex is a member ii. The Kuna have groups like this iii. But this puts a single person into many groups simultaneously b. Patrilineal or Agnatic kinship i. Only the males pass on group membership ii. This doesn’t mean that women aren’t members, they just don’t pass on their membership 1. the Nuer have this system 2. Euro-American cultures do this to some extent with passing on last names 3. Royal inheritance iii. These rules get bent 1. Divorce or children out of wedlock iv. Memories of genealogy get faked or altered v. Patrilineal systems turn up in societies around the world – very common with herding economies. 1. Seem to be a bit more violence because brothers live with one another c. 2 distinctions: Clans vs. Lineages
i. a Clan is a descent group in which everyone claims be descended from a common ancestor but aren't sure how they connect to other clan members or ancestors i1. a Lineage is a descent group in which not only do you know your ancestors, but you can trace all the connections between yourself and other members of the lineage d. Lineages can be subdivided, nesting segments e. Groups expand and contract depending on the situation f. 19 century saw the discovery of Matrilineal or Uterine kinshi only daughters pass on membership This does not mean that the society was matriarchical 1. i.e. the Iroquois had a matrilineal society, It was easier for many reasons a. the men often went off to war or to hunt b. The women dealt with much of the local business of the tribe C. Also, since the lineage was preserved through the women, the men could marry out into white settler society and white men could marry into the tribe Ultimately this helped to preserve the tribal lineage g. Certain feminists have claimed that matrilineal societies are evidence of a time when matriarchical societies were the norm Get notions of"Goddess "worship
i. a Clan is a descent group in which everyone claims being descended from a common ancestor but aren’t sure how they connect to other clan members or ancestors ii. a Lineage is a descent group in which not only do you know your ancestors, but you can trace all the connections between yourself and other members of the lineage d. Lineages can be subdivided, nesting segments e. Groups expand and contract depending on the situation f. 19th century saw the discovery of Matrilineal or Uterine kinship i. only daughters pass on membership ii. This does NOT mean that the society was matriarchical 1. i.e. the Iroquois had a matrilineal society, It was easier for many reasons: a. the men often went off to war or to hunt. b. The women dealt with much of the local business of the tribe. c. Also, since the lineage was preserved through the women, the men could marry out into white settler society and white men could marry into the tribe. Ultimately this helped to preserve the tribal lineage. g. Certain feminists have claimed that matrilineal societies are evidence of a time when Matriarchical societies were the norm i. Get notions of “Goddess” worship
ii. Much of this turns out not to be true 1. Men and women in many societies celebrate female fertility, regardless of being partiarchical societies h. Some societies are both matrilineal and patrilineal Many kinship i ships have nothing to do with descent gro For example sometimes it might be more beneficial to seek out your mother's brother, to whom you are still related but who is in a different descent group j. Kinship become the framework for many things in life But rules are not stat You do have to work within the system 1. But over time, especially during times of civil war, things that were assumed to be rules, turn into preferences 6. Marriage a. Many use marriage as a means of getting other things done- a social mechanism, just like descent groups b. Alliances can be built on marriage exchange Bilater You can marry your mother's brother's daughter or your father's sters daugh ii. Many people are called"wife" and"sister"even though they might ot be iii. This bilateral exchange sets up an even exchange
ii. Much of this turns out not to be true. 1. Men and women in many societies celebrate female fertility, regardless of being partiarchical societies h. Some societies are both Matrilineal and Patrilineal i. Many kinship relationships have nothing to do with descent groups i. For example sometimes it might be more beneficial to seek out your mother’s brother, to whom you are still related, but who is in a different descent group j. Kinship become the framework for many things in life i. But rules are not static ii. You do have to work within the system 1. But over time, especially during times of civil war, things that were assumed to be rules, turn into preferences 6. Marriage a. Many use marriage as a means of getting other things done – a social mechanism, just like descent groups b. Alliances can be built on marriage exchange c. Bilateral exchange: i. You can marry your mother’s brother’s daughter or your father’s sister’s daughter ii. Many people are called “wife” and “sister” even though they might not be so, iii. This bilateral exchange sets up an even exchange
d.Asymmetrical marriage exchange is much less common In the West, marriage is political especially in royal families f. Marriage debates are still going on 1. Homosexual marriage The Nuer marry women to women ii. In France, they will issue a marriage licenses to a woman so that she can marry a dead man, if the two were engaged before he died
d. Asymmetrical marriage exchange is much less common e. In the West, marriage is political especially in royal families f. Marriage debates are still going on i. Homosexual marriage 1. The Nuer marry women to women ii. In France, they will issue a marriage licenses to a woman so that she can marry a dead man, if the two were engaged before he died
