Adoption and challenges in the Anthropological study of western kinship.
“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” – James Baldwin
This essay aims to look at the ways in which traditional western kinship ties were formed, and how, adoption challenges the study of the same.
“American Kinship is an example of the kind of kinship system which is found in most modern, western societies. This kind of system is particularly important not only because it is found in an important kind of society, but also because it is different from the kinds of kinship systems found elsewhere in the world.” (Schneider, 1980)
In the book, ‘American Kinship, A Cultural Account’, by David. M. Schneider, we find that he lays down the basic tenets for which a kinship ties, is considered to be
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Through this distinction, American Kinship ties can be divided in two groups. First, the “Basic term” and the second is the “Derivative Term”. “Basic Terms” include- “Father”, “Mother”, “Brother”, “Sister”, “Son”, “Daughter”, which signify all relationships that are formed out of natural ties, that is through the connection of a similar, biogenetic make – up. “Derivative Terms” are “Basic Terms” and a modifier. Like, “Father” is a basic term, but the “-in-law” is a modifier. So what Schneider essentially did, was to put down the criteria for which a person can be related, and he highlighted the importance of the exchange of natural substance, for the establishment of a kin tie. He spoke of how, blood ties are interminable, while relations formed out of law, can be. So, in the three sets, that is (1) In Nature, (2) In Law, (3) By Blood ties are formed, either by nature, but not by law, not by nature, but by law, and by both nature and law,
...Many Kinds of Family Structures in Our Communities." . N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014. .
In the depiction of the century quilt, the author touches upon how each quilt square “holds a sweet gum leaf,” before furthering the description by relating the leaves as having fingers that would “caress [me] into silence.” Such description of the quilt’s embroidery further reiterates the quilt’s metaphorical representation of familial bonds. When constructing a family tree, the grouping is divvied up into differentiating sides known as branches, upon which each individual can be considered a leaf. Though each leaf is relatively small in relation to the tree as a whole, it is the entirety of the leaves that provide a tree with a structure and shape. In this same vein, the characterization of each quilt square in possession of a leaf parallels each leaf to a member of the lineage. However, the author chooses particular words to describe the quilt squares and the leaves, noting that the squares are not the leaves themselves, but merely holders of them. This particularity in language indicates that while each square belongs to an individual, the leaf itself is not a part of that being—merely a placeholder. The leaves prove to be the common entity bonding the differing squares together, and their function is analogous to that of a common ancestor; though family members differs in origin and history, they are united under the visage of a particular individual. As was mentioned earlier, the
In 2014 a little over 3 million children in the United States were under the guardianship of a relative other than their parent (Szilagyi, 2014). This agreement is referred to as kinship. Kinship care is defined as the care of children by relatives or close family friends, also known as fictive kin, after they have been removed from biological parents. Relatives are usually looked to as the primary resource of care support because they maintain the child's connections with the family and help to preserve the cultural values of the family. (ChildWelfare.gov) Kinship care is divided into three different categories: informal kinship care, voluntary kinship care, and formal kinship care (child welfare information gateway, 2016).
Even though the Joad 's family is primarily genetically related, the film points to another factor that enhances the unity between the family members. The commitment and loyalty to each other are fundamental in establishing their true association, thus playing a major role in maintaining sustainability in the institution of marriage. Within the life of the migrants as depicted in the film, the familial biological entities, without a physical home to establish its borders, is swiftly forgotten, since life while travelling demands that people adjust to new dynamics, demanding that new kinships and connections be formed. This phenomenon is best demonstrated when the Joad family meets the Wilson family, and within a short time, they become a single entity, supporting each other through the life 's difficulties for the ultimate goal of ensuring sustainability of their
Blood and marriage ties are not what made someone fictive kin, but obligation, affection, caring, and responsibility. While family was something a person was born into, fictive kin was something developed. Kinship was important but the fictive kin network was wider and could provide connections immediate family could not. It is important to keep in mind how the concepts involved in community work together. Fictive kin connections are part of self-preservation, solidarity, and reciprocity processes. Such was the case in all three books and will be discussed later.
The idea of “family” is almost entirely socially constructed. From grandparents, to friends, to wives and fiancés, the means by which we decide who is related to us and who is not is decided by the person and their milieu. In Mignon R. Moore’s “Independent Women: Equality in African-American Lesbian Relationships”, Eviatar Zerubavel’s Ancestors and Relatives: Genealogy, Identity and Community, and Franz Kafka’s The Judgement, this idea is tested. Who do we consider close enough to us to share our most intimate details and how do we choose them? Each piece offers a different view, which is the “right” way for each of the people described, whether broad (as in Zerbavel’s reading) or specific (as in Moore’s reading), but there are also many similarities in the ways family is defined and actualized.
In the novel Waterlily by Ella Cara Deloria, kinship plays a key role in the depiction of Dakota society in the novel. Throughout the novel, kinship is instrumental in the development of community ties and familial relations throughout Dakota society. With her depiction of kinship roles and obligations, Deloria argues that kinship brings honor and interconnectedness between the members of society. Through her portrayal of Waterlily’s communities ties, her view of kinship practices is strengthened through her illustration of the Dakota civilization’s view that kinship practices help extend graciousness throughout their community and create bonds that last throughout generations.
...rence stresses that family and a common place of origin bind people together and become the backbone of individuality” (Rosenthal 224).
In efforts to examine how genealogy evolved into its modern manifestation, Weil’s, Family Trees: A History of Genealogy in America is a “genealogy of genealogy.” Family Trees is a study of genealogy in America and its reciprocal effects on society. Weil divides his book into four chronological regimes of genealogy in America, each presented with their own set of problems. These problems did not just disappear after each
The genogram provided me an opportunity review my relationships with my immediate and extended families. The theory I would use with my family would be Reality Therapy because of the cognitive distortion we possessed going up in the household. Despite the negative cultural influences my parents were exposed to growing up. Corey (2015) discussed how individuals are not the cause for a particular family dysfunction. The cumulative effect of parents cultural experiences prohibited them from trusting Caucasians. My father was born in lady Island South Carolina and my mother was from Haskell Oklahoma a raised on a Native American reservation. Both were abandoned by their maternal parents. Both of their mothers died at a very young age. However, their father’s relationships were sporadic. I never met my dad’s father (Joe) and I visited my mother’s father (Calvin) a few times before his death.
In the book Ancestral Line: The Maisin of Papua New Guinea and The Fate of The Rainforest by John Barker a concept that connects this book to what have been learned in class is the idea of kinship. I will be discussing what kinship and it’s two main components are, and how they relate to the book.
Traditions are practices/beliefs that are passed down from generation to generation. In traditional African societies, a kinship ties people through birth or marriage. There are two kinds of relationships in customary African tradition; those bound by blood, which are called consanguine, and those constructed by marriage, called affilial. There are four key descents that determine inheritance and marriage. However, the most common descent is patrilineal, which traces ancestry through one's father. While in America, we are vary tolerant of tracing our descent from both parents.
introduces us to several case studies that seem to be the main nucleus of family
Kinship is used to describe the relationship that exists between or among entities or individuals that share a common origin in terms of culture, historical ancestry or biological relationship. Kinship refers to the relationships defined by a particular culture among or between individuals who have a common family ties. Kinship is used as a basis to classify people and to form social groups in the different societies.
Lévi-Strauss breakthrough work was “The Elementary Structure of Kinship” In this book he uses Structural anthropology to try to understand the relations of people in families by looking at the logical structures the relationships are based on . Lévi-Strauss argues that kinship is actually based on an alliance two