Kinship: Structure and Process (SA0027)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : SPS-3-SAKIN

The first part of the course contrasts the 'descent theory' and 'alliance theory' paradigms which dominated anthropological approaches to kinship from the 1940s until the 1970s. This split is shown to exemplify broader differences in theoretical approach towards the study of anthropology more generally. The second part of the course examines some of the ways in which people in different societies conceptualise and live out relatedness. It shows how notions about relatedness are linked to concepts of the person, notions about gender, and theories of procreation which may be radically different from our own (which are themselves changing under the impact of New Reproductive Technologies). Kinship has long been regarded as the core of the anthropological discipline, although the extent to which this is still the case is questionable. The course traces the history of kinship studies, looking at some central debates in the subject and assessing their implications for anthropological theory.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Social Anthropology, (School of Social and Political Studies, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 1 hour(s) 50 minutes per week for 10 weeks

? Other Required Attendance : 50 minutes per week for 9 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
19/09/2007	11:10	13:00	Room G.02, William Robertson Building	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Wednesday	11:10	13:00	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students should have an overview of the ways in which anthropologists have approached kinship in both some classic non-Western cases, and more recently, in Western cultures. They will have an understanding of the economic and political salience of kinship, the history of kinship within anthropology, and of the significance of key debates about what kinship is, and how it might be studied.