Culture is Kinship: How do you relate? Learned - not in our genes! - PDF document

Culture is… Kinship: How do you relate? � Learned - not in our genes! � Patterned, unconscious January 23, 2006 � Shapes perceptions, behaviors AND what we think is NATURAL! Society vs. Culture Tool Kit Terms � Culture is the “stuff” � Ethnocentrism � Society is the arena � Cultural Relativism � EMIC: INSIDE � ETIC: OUTSIDE Culture is NOT � Static � Unchanging � Firmly bounded � Agreed upon by all practitioners 1

Culture is: � Super-individual � Super-organic � Learned! A typical American Family An American Family Dad: Mike Mom: Carol Son: Greg Daughter: Cindy Son: Pete Daughter: Jan Son: Bobby Daughter: Cindy Can Cindy marry Bobby? Kinship is: � Who takes care of Alice? � Basic principle of social organization � Primarily social, not biological � Determines who you love � Determines many of kinds of social relations � Influences who you support (financial,emotional) � Influences who you marry, who are your ancestors 2

Terms Descent � Unilineal – From one side only – Matrilineal � Kinship Terms -- e.g., “uncle” – Patrilineal � Biological Kin Types -- e.g., “mother’s brother,” father’s brother” � Bilineal – From both sides � Fictive Kin � Equivalent Kin � Consanguines � Ambilineal – From either side � Affines Matrilineal Descent Patrilineal Descent 3

Eskimo Kinship Eskimo Kinship A U A U A M U U F A C C Me S C C C C B C C Hawaiian Kinship Sudanese Kinship 2 1 2 5 1 2 2 1 2 6 1 1 2 3 1 4 3 4 Me 4 3 4 13 15 Me 8 10 12 3 4 3 3 4 9 11 7 14 16 Locality Focality � Which line exhibits strongest influence. � Who you live with � Neolocality – in industrial and foraging � Not of individual, but of general social societies pattern!!!! � Virilocal � Patrifocal � Uxorilocal � Matrifocal 4

The Natural Nuclear Family? Changes in US Family, Household � 1970 � 1995 � Married/kids 40% � Married/kids 25% � 3.1 person/household � 2.6 person/household � 20 % 5 or more � 10 % 5 or more � Single people 17% � Single people 25% � 56 mil families female � 122 mil families female � 12 mil families male � 32 mil families male � 44 % families no kids under � 51 % families no kids under 18 at home 18 at home Quiz 2 Quiz 2 American Families Through T.V. • T/F Emic is the Outsider’s perspective. � 50’s – Leave it to Beaver, Father Knows Best • The fact that a baby adopted from China can � 60’s – The Courtship of Eddy’s Father grow up American shows that culture is � 70’s – Brady Bunch, Eight is Enough, Alice, super________? Happy Days, The Odd Couple, One Day at a • The American kinship system is called____? Time • The social kin term in America for father’s � 80’s – My Two Dads brother’s wife is______? � 90’s – Married with Children, Will and Grace • T/F In a matrilineal kin system, my father would � 00’s – Queer Eye for Straight Guy, Friends, not be consider part of my family. “L” Word 5