!Kung Kinship and Social Organization
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Transcript !Kung Kinship and Social Organization
Kinship, Descent and
Social Organization
Kinship Systems
Descent
Social Organization
Marriage
Kinship system
All blood and marriage relationships that
help people distinguish between different
categories of kin
Creates rights and obligations between
people.
Serves as basis for the formation of
certain types of kin groups.
Functions of Kinship system
Vertical function-provides social
continuity by binding together a number
of successive generations.
Horizontal function-ties together people
across a single generation through
marriage.
Descent
Rules a culture uses to establish
affiliations with one's parents, an aspect
of kinship.
Two types-Unilineal and Cognatic
Unilineal-people trace ancestry through
either mother's or father's line, but NOT
both.
Cognatic descent-people trace ancestry
through both parents lines.
Unilineal
People trace ancestry through either
mother's or father's line, but NOT both.
About 60% of kinship systems are
unilineal.
Generally clear cut and unambiguous
social units.
People of same descent group live
together, hold joint interests in property.
Patrilineal
Trace descent through fathers line, most common
unilineal method.
A man, his children, his brother's children and his sons
children are all members of the same descent group.
Not his sister's children, because her husband is from a
different patrilineage and her children belong to his
descent group.
Males and females are related patrilineally.
a father, his son and daughter are all part of same
patrilineage.
his daughters children are from a different patrilineage.
i.e daughter goes to live with husband.
Patrilineal
Matrilineal
Trace descent through mother's line
A woman, her children, her sister's
children and her daughter's children are
all members of the same descent group.
Not her brother's children.
i.e. son goes to live with wife.
Matrilineal
Cognatic descent
People trace ancestry through both parents
lines. Three types-Double, Ambilineal, Bilateral.
!Kung are Bilateral
Person related equally to both ma's and pa's side
of the family. i.e. U.S. to some degree.
Treat relatives on one side just like on othersymmetrical.
aunt applies to pa's sister and ma's sister.
doesn't distinguish which side.
Bilateral-e.g. !Kung
Literal and Metaphorical Kin
Behavioral correlates-everyone in ego's
own generation and in the grandparents
generation are joking kin.
Joking-relaxed and affectionate, familiar.
Anyone in ego's parents generation is
avoidance kin as are same-sex siblings.
Avoidance-respect, reserve, formal.
Naming
Is complicated because first son and daughter
gets father's father and father's mother name.
Second get named after mother's parents.
Only 36 names for men and 32 for women.
Anyone with father's name called father, wife's
name wife. So man can't marry anyone with
mother's or sister's name.
But get around this with age distinctions when
they feel it necessary.
Lee-naming and adoption
Named /Tonah for a woman’s uncle.
Adopted by N!eishi and //Gumi.
Confusion with kin and name because
had “kin” from adoptive family and “kin”
from name.
Social Organization
Egalitarian Societies-hunter-gatherers, some tribes.
No individual or group has more access to resources,
power, or prestige than does any other.
Does not mean all have equal prestige, but equal
access.
There are sex and age differences.
Individual differences in skill, can achieve prestige.
No one, low or high esteem, denied right to make living.
No one subject to control by another.
No one subject to exploitation by another.
Prestige gained based on ability.
No ascribed status.
Elderly men have most prestige, act as leaders.
!Kung- “Camp”
Core of !Kung social organization.
10-30 individuals
Bilaterally related group
Related older people “leaders”
“Owners” of a waterhole
i.e. N!eishi and //Koka
Flexible
Marriage among !Kung
Arrangement
Search soon after birth
Boy’s mother approaches a girl’s mother
Betrothal sealed with gift-giving (kamasi)
Prohibitions
Incest Taboo
A
girl may not marry a father, brother, son,
uncle, first or second cousin
Kinship and naming
A
girl may not marry a boy with father’s or
brother’s name.
Case: Tin!ay (15 year old girl)
Kau?
Same name as her father
Bo
Too closely related
Kashe
Same name as her brother
Dam
Too closely related
/Gau
Already betrothed
Tsaa
Married to sister
Qualities in son-in-law
Good Hunter
No reputation as a fighter
Congenial family
Check: Groom comes to live with bride’s
family for several years and to hunt for
them (sometimes for 8-10 years).
After children born, they can move back
to his family (patrilocal).
Age at Marriage
Traditionally, girls 12-16; boys 18-25
Sexual consummation would be delayed
for several years if girl very young.
After 1970, girls 15-18; boys 22-30
Marriage-by-capture
Mock forcible carrying away of the girl
from her parents hut to a specially built
hut.
Customary, but underscores the tumult
often associated with first marriages,
because girls have no choice.
Number of Partners
Mostly monogamous (93%)
Polygynous (5%)
All 7 polygynous men healers.
Polyandrous (2%)
Role of Marriage in Conflict
Marriage creates bond between two
families and their camps.
Gift-giving to support each other’s
camps.
Some girls married at extremely early
age (8-10) to alleviate conflict.
Marriage of /Tontah (Lee)
/Xashe wonders why /Tontah no married.
Decides to betrothe him to her daughter,
//Toka.
//Toka is 4 years old.
/Tontah argues that he must check with
his parents first!
Sexuality
Begins at very young age.
Most have experienced sex before age
15.
Very open.
Marital infidelity rare, but does occur.
At one site, out of 50 couples-16 of those
had one or both partners having affair.