29732

WiSe 14/15: (New) Kinship Studies

Leberecht Funk

Comments

Since the founding of cultural and social anthropology there have been ongoing discussions about the definition of "kinship". Once declared as the heart piece of anthropology, the study of "kinship" came under scrutiny in the 1970s, but shortly afterwards reemerged in a new guise. The dismissal of its "classical" focus on generally more abstract and formal concepts of social organization gave rise to studies on symbolic meanings and - reflecting a broader trend in anthropology - social processes and human agency. What might be referred to as New Kinship Studies has emerged since the mid-1990s and is characterized by more open and flexible concepts such as relatedness (Carsten 2000). Recently, a number of issues became prominent fields of investigation, among them New Reproductive Technologies, gay and lesbian kinship, migration, and adoption. Other "newer" research areas include the body, ideas of the person, indigenous conceptions of kinship (e.g. house-based societies), social networks, and kinship "at home".
In this seminar, as the title already indicates, we will deal with both "old" and "new" approaches to "kinship". One aim of the seminar is to demonstrate that a combined perspective on structures and processes can serve as a fruitful basis for future-oriented research (Alber, Beer, Pauli & Schnegg 2010). Students will obtain an overview of some of the most important schools of thought within the anthropology of kinship and read ethnographic materials covering different world regions. Due to the broad range of subjects in one way or the other identified with "kinship", a selection of topics is necessary. The seminar will be hold in English - unless all participants are German native speakers.

Introductory literature:

- ALBER, Erdmute, BEER, Bettina, PAULI, Julia & Michael SCHNEGG (eds.) (2010): Verwandtschaft heute: Positionen, Ergebnisse und Perspektiven. Berlin: Reimer.

- BARNARD, Alan & Anthony GOOD (1984): Research Practices in the Study of Kinship. London: Academic Press.

CARSTEN, Janet (ed.) (2000): Cultures of Relatedness: New Approaches to the Study of Kinship. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. close

16 Class schedule

Regular appointments

Tue, 16:00 - 18:00 16 Class schedule

Tue, 2014-10-14 16:00 - 18:00

Lecturers:
Leberecht Funk