SOC1016A - Lecture 03SOC1016A - Lecture 03

Family and Kinship (2)Family and Kinship (2)

Last week:Last week: Kinship as part of a culture Kinship as part of a culture Kinship as a social institutionKinship as a social institution

Today: Today:

■ ■ The case of marriage and The case of marriage and parenthoodparenthood

■ ■ How to apply anthropological How to apply anthropological insights about marriage and insights about marriage and parenthood to our own societyparenthood to our own society

Peter Rivère on marriagePeter Rivère on marriage

Ethnographic evidence shows that marriage Ethnographic evidence shows that marriage can serve very different purposes. There isn’t can serve very different purposes. There isn’t any universally valid jural definition. any universally valid jural definition. “Marriage has to do with the male/female “Marriage has to do with the male/female categoriescategories” (and these categories change ” (and these categories change through time and space)through time and space)

To understand what marriage To understand what marriage isis for any given for any given people, we have to understand their cultural people, we have to understand their cultural construction of construction of gender relationshipsgender relationships and their and their system of exchangesystem of exchange and and political allegiancepolitical allegiance..

(e.g. see Shaw on the Pakistani community in Oxford)(e.g. see Shaw on the Pakistani community in Oxford)

Marriage as a “social institution”Marriage as a “social institution”

Natural kinds/social kindsNatural kinds/social kinds

In the case of social kinds, the acts of In the case of social kinds, the acts of reference refer to social status rather than reference refer to social status rather than to intrinsic propertiesto intrinsic properties

The practice constitutes its own object. The practice constitutes its own object. The acts of reference have a performative The acts of reference have a performative character, and are self-referentialcharacter, and are self-referential

The meaning of marriage depend on The meaning of marriage depend on collective patterns of behaviourcollective patterns of behaviour

Case-studiesCase-studies

Euro-American notion of kinship as primarily Euro-American notion of kinship as primarily related to blood tiesrelated to blood ties

Ethnographic fieldwork: cases where Ethnographic fieldwork: cases where kinship, descent and lineage are kinship, descent and lineage are conceptualised differently. Biological facts conceptualised differently. Biological facts may be irrelevant: may be irrelevant:

- Trobrianders/Mardu of Australia- Trobrianders/Mardu of Australia - Lakher of Myanmar- Lakher of Myanmar - Temanambondro of Madagascar- Temanambondro of Madagascar - Corsican Mafia- Corsican Mafia

■ ■ Kin does not derive automatically from Kin does not derive automatically from natural links, it must be natural links, it must be created sociallycreated socially..

New Reproductive Technologies New Reproductive Technologies (NRT)(NRT)

Technologically assisted conception, Technologically assisted conception, through manipulation of gametesthrough manipulation of gametes

These techniques force us to face our These techniques force us to face our assumptions about the distinctions: assumptions about the distinctions: pater/genitor, mater/genitrixpater/genitor, mater/genitrix

In the case of a “surrogate mother” we In the case of a “surrogate mother” we need to distinguish between need to distinguish between threethree different notions: mater/genitrix/? different notions: mater/genitrix/? (rearing/conception/gestation)(rearing/conception/gestation)

Case-studiesCase-studies

Jeanette EdwardsJeanette Edwards: an ethnography on : an ethnography on perceptions of NRT in an English town. perceptions of NRT in an English town. Importance of “roots”, dangers of NRT – Importance of “roots”, dangers of NRT – analogies with known situations (adoption, analogies with known situations (adoption, divorce…)divorce…)

Peter RivièrePeter Rivière: anthropological analysis of : anthropological analysis of the the Warnock Report (1984Warnock Report (1984). Main issue: ). Main issue: the split between social the split between social paternity/biological procreationpaternity/biological procreation

Rivière on the Warnock Report:Rivière on the Warnock Report:

AIAI artificial insemination artificial inseminationAIHAIH husband’s semen: acceptable husband’s semen: acceptableAIDAID donor’s semen: problematic. The child is “illegitimate”, but donor’s semen: problematic. The child is “illegitimate”, but

should be treated as legitimate.should be treated as legitimate.

IVFIVF: problematic if semen or egg are donated: problematic if semen or egg are donatedIf both are donated: “least satisfactory case” Why?If both are donated: “least satisfactory case” Why?Implicit assumption: adopted children are at a disadvantage (no Implicit assumption: adopted children are at a disadvantage (no

empirical evidence to support this claim)empirical evidence to support this claim)

Surrogate motherhoodSurrogate motherhood (split for the first time “genetic” and (split for the first time “genetic” and “carrying” mother): strong dissent“carrying” mother): strong dissent

Implicit assumption: a bond of some kind occurs when the child is Implicit assumption: a bond of some kind occurs when the child is in the uterus (again, no empirical evidence is provided)in the uterus (again, no empirical evidence is provided)

Freezing Freezing Human EmbryosHuman Embryos: strong dissent: strong dissent

““Naturally right” = depends in fact on specific cultural constraints. Naturally right” = depends in fact on specific cultural constraints. Science can provide evidence, but the final decisions depend on Science can provide evidence, but the final decisions depend on

cultural and social factors.cultural and social factors.

Follow-up on Rivière workFollow-up on Rivière work

Articles by Articles by Chris ShoreChris Shore and and Emily Emily MartinMartin (see module outline and (see module outline and tutorial reading list)tutorial reading list)

P. Loizos and P. HeadyP. Loizos and P. Heady (eds.), (eds.), Conceiving persons: ethnographies of Conceiving persons: ethnographies of procreation, fertility, and growth procreation, fertility, and growth (London: Athlone, 1999)(London: Athlone, 1999)