Families, Kinship and Descent Study Guide

Families, Kinship and Descent 1. Differentiate between nuclear and extended families, as well as the family of orientation and the family of procreation. Most people belong to at least two nuclear families at different times in their lives. They are born into a family consisting of their parents and siblings, and reaching adulthood, they may establish a nuclear family that includes their spouse and eventually their children. Anthropologists distinguish between the family of orientation (the family in which one is born and grows up) and the family of procreation (formed when one has children). In most societies, relations with nuclear family members (parents, siblings, and children take precedence over relations with other kin. Nuclear family organization is widespread and not universal, and its significance varies from culture to culture. In some cultures, the extended family overshadows the nuclear family. 2. Describe how industrialism has affected family organization. The geographic mobility associated with industrialism works to fragment kinship groups larger than the nuclear family. As people move, often for economic reasons, they are separated from their parents and other kin. Usually, people’s jobs play a major role in determining where they live. A pattern of postmarital residence, in which married couples establish a new place of residency away from their parents, is called neolocality. Neolocality is both a cultural preference and a statistical norm. There is a higher proportion of expanded family households among poorer Americans, as relatives band together to pool their resources since they would be unable to survive economically as an independent nuclear family. 3. Identify the general patterns found family organization among foragers. Foraging societies are far removed from industrial nations in terms of population size and social complexity, but they do feature geographic mobility, which is associated with nomadic hunting and gathering. In this way, a mobile lifestyle favors the nuclear family as the most significant kin group, although in no foraging society is the nuclear family the only group based on kinship. The two basic social units of traditional foraging societies are the nuclear family and the band. Foragers don’t usually reside neolocally, instead, they join a band in which either the husband or the wife has relatives. Although nuclear families are relatively impermanent among foragers, they are usually more stable than bands are. Many foraging societies lack year-round band organization. In neither industrial nor foraging societies are people tied permanently to the land. The mobility and the emphasis on small, economically self-sufficient family units promote the nuclear family as a basic kin group in both types of societies. 4. Summarize the different types of descent groups. The descent group is the key kinship group among nonindustrial farmers and herders. Descent groups are made up of people who share common ancestry, and they are permanent and last for generations . Descent groups may take their name from an ancestor, or from a familiar animal, plant, or natural feature a. Matrilineal descent: people belong to their mother’s group automatically at birth and are lifelong members; a type of unilineal descent b. Patrilineal descent: people are similarly born into their father’s group and have lifelong membership in his group; a type of unilineal descent c. Lineage: a descent group based on demonstrated descent; members can show how they descend from their common ancestor by naming their forebears in each generation from the apical ancestor through the present d. Clan: typically larger than lineages and can include lineages; members of a clan do not demonstrate how they descend from their common ancestor; based on stipulated descent 5. Describe the anthropological approach to the study of kinship. Anthropologist are interested in studying kinship calculation: the relationships based on kinship that people recognize in different societies and how they talk about those relationships. Kinship calculation, also known as kinship classification, is the system that people in a particular society use to recognize and categorize kinship relationships. Cultures maintain various beliefs about biological processes involving kinship. 6. Distinguish among the four types of kinship terminology. The four ways of classifying kin on the parental generation include: lineal, bifurcate merging, generational, and bifurcate collateral a. Lineal: our own type of kinship classification; found in societies such as the U.S. and Canada in which the nuclear family is the most important group based on kinship; gets its name from the fact that it distinguishes lineal relatives from collateral relatives i. Lineal relatives: an ancestor or descendant, anyone on the direct line of descent that leads to and from ego (ex: parents, grandparents, greatgrandparents) ii. Collateral relatives: all other kin; includes siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles b. Bifurcate merging: splits the mother’s side from the father’s side, and merges same-sex siblings; found in societies with unilineal descent groups c. Generational: there are only two terms for people on the parental generation; does not distinguish between the mother’s side and the father’s side; it uses one term for father, father’s brother, and mother’s brother; uses a single term for mother, mother’s sister, and father’s sister; suggests closeness between ego and his or her aunts and uncles; we’d expect to find generational terminology in societies in which extended kinship is much more important than it is in our own but in which there is no rigid distinction between the mother’s and father’s side; found in societies with ambilineal descent; used in a series of band-organized societies d. Bifurcate collateral: the most specific; it has separate kinship terms for each of the six kin types on the parental generation; isn’t as common as the other types; also may develop when a child has parents of different ethnic backgrounds 7. Define the following terms (and provide any examples from the text and lecture): a. Affinals- relatives by marriage b. Ambilineal descent- a flexible descent rule, neither patrilineal or matrilineal c. Bifurcate collateral kinship terminology- six separate parental kin terms: M, F, MB, MZ, FB and FZ d. Bifurcate merging kinship terminology- four parental kin terms: M=MZ, F=FB, MB and FZ each stand alone e. Bilateral kinship calculation- kinship calculated equally through both sexes f. Clan- a unilinear descent group based on stipulated descent g. Collateral relative- a relative outside ego’s direct line (ex: B, Z, FB, MZ) h. Descent group- a group based on belief in shared ancestry i. Ego- the position from which one views an egocentric genealogy j. Expanded family household- a household that includes a group of relatives other than, or in addition to, a married couple and their children k. Extended family household- a household with three or more generations l. Family of orientation- the nuclear family in which one is born and grows up m. Family of procreation- the nuclear family established when one marries and has children n. Generational kinship terminology- just two parental kin terms: M=MZ=FZ and F=FB=MB o. Kin terms- the words used for different relatives in a particular language and system of kinship calculation p. Kinship calculation- the relationship based on kinship that people recognize in a particular society, and how they talk about those relationships q. Lineage- a unilinear descent group based on demonstrated descent r. Lineal kinship terminology- four parental kinship terms: M, F, FB=MB, and MZ=FZ s. Lineal relatives- ego’s direct ancestors and descendants t. Neolocality- the living situation in which a couple establishes a new residence u. Unilineal descent- matrilineal or patrilineal descent Dettwyler, Chapters 1-6 Chapter 1: Return to the Field 1) What were the author’s main research questions during her dissertation research? During her Fulbright research? Why was it necessary for her to return to the field? The author’s main research question regarding her dissertation research was documenting how traditional infant feeding practices affected children's growth. Her Fulbright research continued and expanded upon her research on child growth and infant 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) feeding practices. She chose to return to her fieldwork instead of stopping at her dissertation because she believed it was essential for the development of her career. Why did the author leave her son and husband behind in the United States? Why did she take her daughter? The author left her husband behind in the United State because her husband already had a full-time job, or as she calls it a “real job”. She left her son behind because he had down syndrome, as well as a poor immune system that would not fare well in West Africa. She decided to bring her daughter, Miranda, mainly because she wanted company, but also because she thought Miranda was old enough to understand and remember Mali. What is culture shock? What factors contributed to the author’s experience of culture shock the second time she went to Mali? Culture shock is disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture. Factors that contributed to the author’s experience of culture shock include not knowing anyone she had previously known her first time in Mali, and her housing conditions were very different from what she was used to. Why did the author use numbers and descriptive phrases to refer to people in her study, instead of their names? The author used numbers and descriptive phrases to refer to people in her study because many of the children had the same name, so it was easier to identify them as numbers instead. What role do greetings play in Bambara culture? Greetings form an indispensable part of daily life in Mali. Every time you see someone you know, you go through elaborate greetings involving a long series of questions. Greetings are very important as a sign of politeness and respect. The higher a person’s status, the longer and more elaborate should the greetings you give them be, out of respect. Why is it important for an anthropologist to be able to speak the local language? It is important for an anthropologist to be able to speak the local language because it gives them immense power and is a great asset. In addition, it gives them the ability to joke around and connect with the subjects on a deeper, more meaningful level. What was the outcome of the author’s visit to #104’s compound? What had happened to the child in the intervening years? The outcome of author’s return to #104’s compound found the child at a healthy weight, and was doing well in school. Chapter 2: Of Mosquitoes and Men 1) Who were Kay and Mickey, and how/why did they die? What impact did their deaths have on the author? Kay was a young Peace Corps Volunteer and Mickey was an American expatriate. Both Kay and Mickey contracted malaria from mosquitoes and died from it. This scared the author into leaving Mali, because she did not want to get sick. Their deaths led the author to thinking about leaving Mali because it could be unsafe for her and her daughter. 2) Where did Steven and Katherine Dettwyler originally plan to conduct research for their dissertations? On what subjects? What happened when they tried to go there? How did they end up in Mali? Was their experience atypical? Steven and Katherine Dettwyler originally planned on conducting research for their dissertations in Sudan to study the Nuba people. When they tried to go there, they got stuck in Cairo due to lack of transportation and were never able to make it to Sudan. The Dettwylers reluctantly went to Mali and ended up falling in love with it. 3) Does the author feel that fate played a role in where she conducted research? The author feels as if fate played a role in where she conducted her research because she said it was as it God plucked her out of Sudan and put her in Mali. 4) Where is Mali? What major river runs through the country? Mali is located in West Africa, and the Niger River runs through the country. 5) What are the major ethnic groups living in Mali, and how do they make their living? The major ethnic groups living in Mali include the Bambara, the Tamasheq, the Fulani, the Dogon, and the Bozo fishermen. Most all groups make their living by farming. 6) How did the author financially support her dissertation research? The author financially supported her dissertation research by working in the American Community Center. 7) Why does the author feel that going native is not necessarily the best way to gain insight into a culture? The author feels that going native is not necessarily the best way to gain insight into a culture because if you live exactly like the natives, then you will start to become numb to the differences between America and the people of the culture you're studying and be limited to one perspective. 8) Describe Magnambougou. What is meatn by the following terms: extended families, polygyny, patrilineal descent, and patrilocal residence? Magnambougou is a small underdeveloped town, and it is occupied by families who have migrated in from rural villages over the past twenty years. Polygyny is when one man can have multiple wives, and all of their families put together are extended families. Patrilineal descent is when people share a last name, ethnic identity, and property inherited is from father to children. Patrilocal residence is when wives leave their parents to live with their husbands. 9) How does the author describe the religious beliefs of the residents of Magnambougou? Are the people Moslem? In what ways? The people of Magnambougou follow a blend of traditional and Muslim religious beliefs. Women often do not strictly follow Muslim teachings: they are not secluded, they do not have to wear veils, they seldom go to the mosque or pray at home, the rarely fast during Ramadan, and they are not familiar with Koranic guidelines concerning infant feeding. 10) How do the medical resources of Mangambougou compare to those available in the United States? What are the main diseases children in Mali must contend with? The medical resources of Mangambougou are provided primarily by traditional herbalists and by a government-run maternal/child health center. The main diseases children in Mali must contend with include diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, yellow fever, cholera, and smallpox. 11) Describe how malaria is transmitted from person to person and what happens if you grow up in a malarial environment. Do you develop any immunity? Who is most likely to die of Malaria? Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes. If one lives through repeated bouts of childhood malaria, he or she may eventually build up a tolerance, but not complete immunity. Chapter 3: Female Circumcision: Not Just Another Bit of Exotic Ethnographic Trivia 1) What is female circumcision? What are the various types, and which kind is most common in Mali? Which kind is anatomically analogous to male circumcision? Female circumcision is when the clitoris is removed by a clitoridectomy. Th kind most common in Mali is infibulation, which involves a clitoridectomy plus cutting off the outer edges of the labia majora, which are then stitched together across the midline to form a permanent layer of scar tissue that prevent intercourse. Th kind most anatomically analogous to male circumcision is the removal of the hood of the clitoris. 2) What are some of the rationales provided by cultures that practice female circumcision? How do anthropologists usually view it? Some of the rationales provided by cultures that practice female circumcision include it prevents women from having sex before marriage, and its their cultural tradition. Anthropologists tend to see this practice as very severe. 3) What methods are used in the United States to control females’ sexual behavior? Methods in the United States that are used to control females’ sexual behavior include birth control and other contraceptive methods. 4) Why are males in the United States usually circumcised? Males in the United States are usually circumcised because it is more of a cultural norm. 5) What was Agnes’s attitude when she found out that neither the author nor her daughter had been, or were intending to be, circumcised? Agnes was in shock and was amazer that neither the author nor her daughter were circumcised because in her own culture, all women were circumcised. She felt bad for them because she thought they would be shunned and looked down upon for not being circumcised. 6) Were the women in Magnambougou overly concerned with their loss of sexual pleasure thorugh circumcision? Why or why not? The women in Magnambougou were not overly concerned with their loss of sexual pleasure through circumcision because in their culture, “sex is a woman’s duty to her husband: it doesn’t matter if it feels good for her. 7) How do the Moors fell about obese women? How does this differ from the ideal female form in the United States? Can you think of any advantages to being obese in the desert? In Mali, obesity is seen as a sign of wealth. It shows that they have enough money to buy enough food to make themselves fat. It is considered a sign of beauty and sexiness, contrary to how in the United States, obesity is seen as unattractive and a negative quality. Being obese in the desert would be beneficial because it gives the more body fat to burn and consume, allowing someone to live longer before starving. 8) Describe Daouda. What factors contributed to his malnutrition? Daouda is an infant who was only 12 pounds and so weak that he couldn’t hold his head up or move his limbs voluntarily. Factors that contributed to his malnutrition include his refusing to eat, and the lack of nutritional food given to him. 9) What attempts did the author make to help Daouda? Why did she eventually give up? The author tried to help Daouda by telling his mom she had to feed him more, and she even tried to give her some money to feed him, but the mother never would. She eventually gave up because she found out his mother was mentally disabled and would never learn. 10) Why does the author say she had to “harden her heart” against Daouda? The author said she had to “harden her heart” against Daouda because there was nothing she could say or do to help him since his mother was not willing to take her advice. She had to let go of him and consider him a “lost cause”. Chapter 4: Of Worms and Other Parasites 1) What are baches, and how do they operate? Baches are small pickup trucks that have the tailgate removed. The interior of the truck bed is furnished with hard wooden benches around the periphery, covered by a metal framework that partially encloses the back and keeps out the sun and rain. 2) Why is it difficult to find out the cultural roles governing bache riding? It is difficult to find out the cultural roles governing bache riding because there are no written rules, people just know. It is very difficult to figure out where a particular bache is headed, how much it should cost, and when or whom you should pay. 3) How do Malian women carry money? Why don’t they just use purses? Malian women carry their money in the corner of the cloth they use to tie their babies onto their backs. They can’t carry their money in purses because they would be too easily stolen. 4) How does the author manipulate language, and use humor, to interact with people on the bache? Why did she pay for old men to ride the bache? The author would pretend she could not speak Bambara, then made jokes by revealing that she could. She would pay for old men to ride the bache because Malians like to help those in need. 5) How does the author suggest that Heather pick out “her own leper” to give alms to? The author suggest that Heather should pick out her “own leper” to give alms to because if you choose one leper to give money to, the others will respect you and not bother you for money. 6) Why did the author collect urine and fecal samples? Why did she take the samples to the Veterinary Laboratory for analysis? The author collected urine and fecal samples because To see what intestinal parasites the people had. She chose to use a veterinary lab for analysis because she had a friend who worked at one and she knew the people working there were well-trained, and she was able to negotiate a good rate for the laboratory analyses of the specimens. 7) Why is the question “Is your child still alive?” an acceptable conversation starter in Mali? The question “Is your child still alive?” is an acceptable conversation starter in Mali because many Malian children die. 8) What had happened to Aminata, the “well-nourished” child, during the six years of the author’s absence? How did she get a tapeworm? During the six years of the author’s absence, Aminata, the well-nourished child, became extremely skinny and malnourished. She likely got her tapeworm from ingesting undercooked beef kebabs from the marketplace. 9) How is schistosomiasis transmitted? What are its symptoms? Schistosomiasis is transmitted through infected waters. Symptoms include bleeding, reddish tinted urine, weakness, and anemia. 10) How is it possible that Malian parents could be unaware that their children were passing blood in their urine or worms in their feces? It is possible that Malian parents could be unaware that their children were passing blood in their urine or worms in their feces because the children go to the bathroom in holes in the ground, so their parents do not see their urine or feces. 11) How did Moussa’s nephew interpret his red urine? Moussa’s nephew interpreted is red urine as being a sign that he was growing up. 12) How do the Bozo interpret red urine in adolescent boys? The Bozo intercepted red urine in adolescent boys as something to be celebrated, and they held celebratory rites of passage for boys who had red urine. 13) Were intestinal parasites a major problem for children in the community? Intestinal parasites were a major problem for children in the community, and it affected many. Chapter 5: The Grand Marche 1) Describe a typical workday for a Malian woman. What kinds of activities occupy her time? Why were mornings not good for conducting interviews? The kinds of activities that occupied a Malian woman’s time include keeping the house clean, hauling water, chopping firewood, going to the market to buy food for the day, and making three meals. Interviews required more of a commitment of time from the women in the compound, and they were often too busy in the morning to sit and talk. 2) How are cooking chores usually distributed among the women of an extended patrilineal compound? For the women of an extended patrilineal compound, each wife would take a turn preparing a meal. 3) Why do people in Mali customarily eat with their right hand? Why did the author always make such a mess when she ate? People in Mali customarily eat with their right hand because the left hand is reserved for cleansing after using the bathroom. The author always struggled and made such a mess when she ate because she was left-handed. 4) Why was the author interested in how women spent their household food money? Why was it difficult to gather information on this topic? The author was interested in how women spent their household food money because she wanted to know how much money went to each specific aspect of their lives. It was difficult to gather information on this topic because the women did not like to reveal how much money their husbands gave them. 5) Why did the women say they would buy macaroni, potatoes, and bread if they had more money? The women said they would buy macaroni, potatoes, and bread if they had more money because they were considered luxury goods. 6) Why was it so difficult to elicit information on the frequency with which people ate meat? Under what circumstances did people eat meat? Why did villagers in northern Mali raise goats, if not to have a regular supply of meat? It was difficult to elicit information on the frequency with which people ate meat because they only ate meat whenever someone would kill a goat. People would eat meat when when someone needed money, so they would kill a goat and sell the meat to others. 7) What determines the value of an item for sale in Mali? How does this differ from the process in the United States? The quality of the item and the desire of the buyer to own it determines the value of an item for sale in Mali, and all prices are negotiable. This is different from the process in the United States, where everything has a set price that someone is required to pay. 8) Describe Grand Marche. What kinds of things are available for sale there? Grand Marche, otherwise known as the Big Market, is like a giant mall that has everything you could possibly need, including, but not limited to: incense, myrrh, spices, fluorescent green bras, plastic cups, bicycle chains, cola nuts, gold and silver, monkey heads, and magical powders. 9) What were the bronze statues the author found in the Grand Marche? How did they differ from those collected by the folklore professor? The author found two statues in the Grand Marche, one of them being a slave and one being of a pregnant woman. All the figurines of the folklore professor depicted men and women in sexual acts, and no matter how hard the author looked for statues similar to his in the Grand Marche, she could never find any. 10) What are Fulani wedding blankets? How did the author cultivate her relationship with Sidi? What strategies did she pursue to bargain the price of the green blanket down? Fulani wedding blankets are large blankets that Malians use as walls for their tents. The author cultivated her relationship with Sidi by speaking Bambara to him, teasing him about his exorbitant prices for toubabs, and visiting him whenever she was at the Marche. To bargain the price of the green blanket down, the author visited Sidi every week or two and refusing to purchase the blanket until just before she was about to go home. 11) Why were the French tourists happy with their purchase? Did they make a good deal? The French tourists were happy with their purchase because they were able to bargain with Sidi and get his price down to 18,000 CFA from 25,000 CFA. They did not get a good deal, because the author could have bought six blankets for the price of their one, and they thought they were getting a very unique, one-of-a-kind blanket, but in reality, Sidi had many others just like it. Chapter 6: Rural Africa at Last 1) What were the goals of the Freedom from Hunger/AMIPJ project in Dogo arrondissement? The goals of the Freedom from Hunger/AMIPJ project in Dogo arrondissement were to provide employment to young professionals in grass-roots developmental projects. 2) What did AMIPJ hope to learn from the author’s visit to Dogo? AMIPJ hoped to learn how to determine the extent and causes of the problem regarding malnutrition. In addition, they hoped she would be able to help them develop nutrition education messages. 3) Why was the author willing to work without pay? The author was willing to work without pay because she knew she would benefit just by getting research in Dogo, and they would lend her a car, give her a clean hut with a foam pad to sleep on, as well as provide her with contacts in every village to arrange for food. 4) What kind of behavior characterizes a joking relationship? How can joking relationships break down barriers between strangers? A joking relationship is characterized by official, sanctioned silliness between groups or relatives or friends. Joking relationships can break down barriers between strangers by establishing a level of comfort and openness. 5) What was Moussa’s reaction to the news of an impending trip to the countryside? Why was Moussa so ethnocentric about the rural people of his own country? Moussa’s initial reaction to the news of an impending trip to the countryside was being scared and hesitant because he claimed the people there lived like savages. Moussa was so ethnocentric about the rural people of his own country because he grew up in a certain part of the country that he perceived as being superior to the “bush”. 6) What was the pharmacy en brousse, and how did it help the author establish good relations with the AMIPJ field crew? Is the author’s penchant for “packing for every possible contingency” typical of someone in the United States? The pharmacy en brousse was the author's bag full of medicine, which helped her establish good relations with the AMIPJ field crew since she had every medicine for every type pf ache or pain anyone could be feeling. The author’s penchant for “packing for every possible contingency” is entirely typical of someone in the United States . 7) How is a rural latrine different from an urban latrine? A rural latrine is different from an urban latrine because the rural latrines had a gourd of water you were given to wash everyone out of the hole so the wastes could be disposed of by scavengers, such as dung beetles. The urban latrines were just simply holes in the ground. 8) Why did Moussa say that the author shouldn’t climb trees? Moussa says that the author should not climb trees because it was a pointless and bizarre activity that was only done by animals. 9) What are the proximal and ultimate causes of kwashiorkor? In what age range do you usually see kwashiorkor? Why is it rare in Mali? Kwashiorkor typically results from a diet that is deficient in protein. The age range in which one usually sees kwashiorkor is in children 2-3 years old. Kwashiorkor is rare in Mali because their staple foods are high in protein.