Kinship and Gender : An Introduction

Does kinship still matter in today's globalized, increasingly mobile world? Does the way we conceptualize kinship and the words we use to describe it have consequences? Do family structures continue to influence the varied roles that men and women play in different cultures? Answering with a resounding "yes!", Linda Stone and Diane King offer a lively introduction to kinship. They firmly link kinship to cross-cultural gender studies, illuminating the malleable nature of gender roles around the world and over time. Stone and King bring the anthropological study of kinship and gender from the past all the way up to the present in this unique examination of the "family." Written to engage students, each chapter provides key terms and useful generalizations gleaned through cross-cultural research on the interplay of kinship and gender in both traditional societies and contemporary communities. Updated case studies help students understand how such generalizations are experienced "in real life." Stone and King also consider the ramifications of current social problems, such as domestic violence and rape, and recent developments in reproductive technology as they demonstrate the relevance of kinship and gender to students' lives. The sixth edition features discussion of cross-cultural examples complimented by expanded coverage of kinship and gender dynamics within the United States. Stone and King consider current evolutionary research on kinship and gender, and offer a new case study addressing foster parenting in the US. They also have included discussions on the changing definitions of kinship with sections on transgender people and pets as family members. The result is a broad and captivating exploration of anthropological approaches to family and gender. Does kinship still matter in today's globalized, increasingly mobile world? Do family structures continue to influence the varied roles that men and women play in different cultures? Answering with a resounding ‘yes!', Linda Stone and Diane E. King offer a lively introduction to and working knowledge of kinship. They firmly link these concepts to cross-cultural gender studies, illuminating the malleable nature of gender roles around the world and over time.Written to engage students, each chapter in Kinship and Gender provides key terms and useful generalizations gleaned through research on the interplay of kinship and gender in both traditional societies and contemporary communities. Detailed case studies and cross-cultural examples help students understand how such generalizations are experienced in real life. The authors also consider the ramifications of current social problems and recent developments in reproductive technology as they demonstrate the relevance of kinship and gender to students'lives.The fully-revised sixth edition contains new case studies on foster parenting in the United States and on domestic violence. It provides new material on pets as family members and an expanded discussion of the concept of lineal masculinity. There is also a comparison of the adoption of new reproductive technologies in Israel with other countries, along with a discussion of the issue of transnational movements in the use of these technologies. "Provides key terms and useful generalizations gleaned through research on the interplay of kinship and gender in both traditional societies and contemporary communities. Detailed case studies and cross-cultural examples help students understand how such generalizations are experienced in real life. The authors also consider the ramifications of current social problems and recent developments in reproductive technology as they demonstrate the relevance of kinship and gender to students' lives."--Provided by publisher Preface -- 1. Gender, reproduction, and kinship -- 2. The evolution of kinship and gender -- 3. The power of patrilines -- 4. Through the mother -- 5. Double, bilateral, and cognatic descent -- 6. Marriage -- 7. A history of Euro-American kinship and gender -- 8. Kinship, gender, and contemporary social issues -- 9. Kinship, gender, and the new reproductive technologies -- 10. The globalization of kinship Does kinship still matter in today's globalized, increasingly mobile world? Do family structures still influence the varied roles that men and women play in different cultures? Answering with a resounding 'yes!', the authors offer a lively introduction to and working knowledge of kinship. They link these concepts to cross-cultural gender studies.