SAN104 Kinship and Social Network

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
0/0. 7 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Irena Kašparová, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Adéla Souralová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Eva Šlesingerová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Eva Šlesingerová, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Fri 26. 9. 14:00–19:30 U32, Fri 24. 10. 14:00–19:30 U32, Fri 21. 11. 14:00–19:30 U32
Prerequisites
The student must have successfully passed SAN 101 and SAN 301
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 8 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course is centralised around anthropological understanding of kinship and theories of social networks. It ties together with the Introduction to Social Anthropology (1st semester course) not only by repeating the leading topics, but through constructing itself around the development of this anthropological sub-discipline during last century both in its theory as well as with usage of numerous monographs of various kinship authors. At the same time the critical thought of the students is developed through introduction of major critics of kinhips as self-standing sub-discipline, as well as the never ending debate upon the dualism of nature and culture. The course is compulsory to all social anthropology major students.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction: Historical framework of kinship and theories of social network in social anthropology. What is kinship, review of basic literature. 2. Genealogy a genealogical method. Basic terminology and methods in mapping out the kinship networks in anthropology. 3. Early studies of kiship. Evolutionary theories, basic concepts of Lewis Henry Morgan, John McLennan. Johann Jakob Bachofen, E.B. Tylor). Bedřich Engels and his reception of L. Morgan. 4. Kinship terminology: classifies and describes. Relation between kinhip terminology and social structure (L.H. Morgan, W.H.R. Rivers, A.R. Radcliffe-Brown and modern anthropology). 5. Incest taboo. Types of marriage (monogamy, polygamy). Endogamy and exgamy (S. Freud, E. Westermarck, C. Lévi-Strauss, sociobiology). 6. Family and household. (matrilokality/patrilokality vs. uxorilokalitay/virilokality, avunkulokality, neolokolaity, duolokality etc.). bride wealth/bride price, cattle-linked relatives 7. Family, its typology and research (nuclear/elementary family (A.R. Radcliffe-Brown, C. Lévi-Strauss, G.P. Murdock). 8. Theories of uni linear descendence and its critique. 9. Ununilinear types of descend groups. Anthropological research in Africa and New Guinea. Kindred. 10. Alliance theories. A.R. Radcliffe-Brown (system Aranda and Kariera in Austrálii). M. Mauss, Claude Lévi-Strauss . 11. Relation between biological and social kinship. Ethnosociology. R. Needham - E. Gellner – J. Barnes. 12.Cultural twist of David Schneider: critique of kinship. 13. Kinship and new reproduction technologies.
Literature
  • Fortes, M. 1953. The Structure of Unilineal Descent Groups, American Anthropologist 55: 17-41 Gellner, E. 1957. Ideal language and kinship structure, Philosophy of Science 24, 235-252 Gellner, E. 1960. The concept of kinship, Philosophy of Science 27, 18
  • Rivers, W.H.R. 1900. A Genealogical Method of Collecting Social and Vital Statistics. The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, 30, 74-82 Schneider, D. M. 1984. A Critique of the Study of Kinship, The University of Michig
  • Bouquet, M. 1996. Family trees and their affinities: the visual imperative of the genealogical diagram, Journal of Royal Anthropological Institute (N.S.) 2, 43-66 Bourdieu, P. 1990. The Logic of Practice, Stanford University Press, Kap. “Land and Matrimo
  • Morgan, L.H. 1951. Společenské zřízení amerických Indiánů, Praha: Nakladatelství Rovnost Needham, R. 1960. Descent systems and ideal language, Philosophy of Science 27, 96-101 Radcliffe-Brown, A.R. 1958. Social Structure, In: Radcliffe-Brown, A.R. (ed. b
  • Astuti, R. 2000. Kindreds and descent groups: new perspectives from Madagascar, In: Carsten, J. (ed.) - Cultures of Relatedness. New Approaches to the Study of Kinship, Cambridge University Press, 90-103 Barnes, J.A. 1961. Physical and social kinship, Ph
Assessment methods
Active participation in lectures and seminars, including the pre-reading of set literature. Examination: final written test at the end of the semester
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Spring 2008, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Spring 2013, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Spring 2015, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2008, recent)
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