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Why is the study of kinship so important anyway? Many anthropology students ask this question as they struggle with creating kinship diagrams of their own families, a common introductory assignment. Besides being a good opportunity to do some family genealogy, this assignment is designed to teach you to understand kinship charts and the relationships between people so that you will be prepared to study cultures with varying systems of family organization.
Here are some examples of how kinship plays a role in the daily lives of people in different ways. As you study kinship, you will run across other cultural areas which are largely influenced by the relationships between people. If you like, use our comment page to send us what you learn and we will post your findings here to share them with others.
Kinship and Politics
The concept of royalty is one with which we have become accustomed to. Whether they be a King, Queen, Prince or Princess, we all know why they have the power they do; they are the son or daughter of a powerful person. Simply the fact that they were born gives them the right to rule a country, and/or enjoy fabulous fame and wealth.
For more information on royalty, consult the following web resources:
The Norwegian Monarchy- look under G'vt/Political System
Kinship and Subsistence
The Aymara people of Peru, largely subsistence farmers, rely heavily on the assistance of kin and neighbors to grow their crops. They practice the ancient process of ayni, which refers to reciprocal labor. Kindred help each other out in exchange for receiving the same kind of help at a later date. The Aymara depend on each other to plant, harvest, and preserve the crops they grow.
For more information on the Aymara, consult the following web resources:
Text Resource
Brown, Paul 1978. Fuerza por Fuerza: Ecology and Culture Change Among the Aymara of Southern Peru.
Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder.
Kinship and Marriage
The Yanomamö of Venezuela and Brazil are a good example of the influence of kin relationships on marriage. The Yanomamöwoman's marriage partner is chosen by her father or another male relative in order to build political alliances with other kin groups. Often an exchange is made for a woman in the other group (see Sister Exchange). In this society, not only does kinship determine who is marriageable (in this case, cross cousins are desirable) , but it also determines which of those men who are eligible will become a woman's spouse. Marriage and politics are often closely related.
For more information on the Yanomamö, consult the following web resources:
Text Resource
Chagnon, Napoleon. Yanomamö, Fifth Edition. Harcourt Brace College Publishers: Fort Worth 1997.
