ANTH-101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Himalayas, Machismo, Patrilineality
Document Summary
Biologically constructed vs. socially constructed kinship: marriage: relationships based on mating. E. g. marital separation among the inuit and co-husbands (pp. 391: descent: relationships based on birth. E. g. new reproductive technologies and changing definitions of parenthood (pp. 376-378: adoption: relationships based on nurturing. E. g. the zumbaguan family (highland ecuador) consists of those who eat together . (pp. 375-376) Sex: observable physical characteristics distinguishing males and females: gender: the cultural construction of beliefs and behaviours considered appropriate for each sex. Supernumerary sexes: biological/genetic conditions: intersexuality (hermaphroditism, culturally constructed: e. g. hijra of india a third sex, third gender identity. Supernumerary genders: e. g. two spirits among north american aboriginal societies. The descent group is analogous to the nuclear family among non-industrial food producers (horticulture and pastoralism): descent groups may be lineages or clans. Two rules serve to admit certain people as descent group members while excluding others: patrilineal descent, matrilineal descent.
