Kinship In Ethnographic Research

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For anthropologist kinship is significant to understanding the particular culture as a whole. Anthropology first began with a focus on small populations. That is, through ethnographic research studying smaller groups helps anthropologist to understand the social organization of more complex societies that roots the entire social system. This essay will also focus on smaller tribal groups that examine marriage and economy since it is the simplest way to understand how the past has helped to organize the present methods we use to survive today. Granted, if we examine the organization of any particular society we see that kin¬ship is its most crucial function. Since, kinship is a system that identifies how people interact to one another, marriage …show more content…

After the ritualistic business of mating occurs the marriage will then take on its duty and responsibility to the whole group. For example, the Nuer marriage and family is not as simple as we might see in an American marriage and family. For the Nuer love, marriage, and family consists of more than just intimate relationships as described: “Marriage among the Nuer is brought about by payment of bride wealth and by the performance of certain ceremonial rites. The rites cannot take place without payments, but transfers of cattle do not by themselves bring about the union. Both are necessary, and they proceed in a connected movement towards the full establishment of the union (58).” This is why marriage and procreation is essential for smaller groups as it helps to create lineal bonds. Within these exchanges smaller tribal groups, such as the Nuer, can take these goods and begin to trade and gain wealth in order to maintain their livelihood. It is this very system of mating the right people that maintains the organization which helps to push the economy along. This is important to anthropologist because it is through kinship and these types of methods that helps better understand how trade exchange is used in the integration of marriage …show more content…

Marriage is an institution that admits men and women to family life no matter how small or complex the family becomes. For example, it has been noted that Malinowski defined “marriage as a contract for the production and maintenance of children. Hunt marriage is the approved social pattern whereby two or more persons establish a family (Malinowski, 1920).” Similarly, Levy-Strauss asserts that “people get married because of the feeling that being in a family is the only possible way to live and survive. Kinship is related to all the other aspects of society such as econ¬omy, celebration of festivals, worship and folkways. The position of the individual is planned and executed by kinsmen. (Levi-Strauss, 1948).” It is by marriage, than procreation, than role positioning, that allows for the economy of family to spread out and increase. What anthropologist’s have gathered from all of this studying is that whether the traditions differ the value of kinship in the settlement of marriage remains the

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