COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

This course serves as an introduction to alternative family styles and kin networks in non-Western and Western societies with particular attention given to ethnic families in America. Primary attention will be given to exploring the relationships between types of domestic groups and their cultural context--e.g., how are families, households, kissing kin, etc. defined and what social, economic and political functions do they perform? Case materials will be drawn from Africa, India, Mexico and the United States (including North American Indian, Mexican-American, Black and other ethnic minorities). Approximately the first half of the course will focus on defining the variable characteristics of domestic and other kin groups within a theoretical framework. The second half of the course will focus on detailed examination of selected case studies.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Mindel, C., R. Habenstein and R. Wright (Eds.) 1998. Ethnic Families in America: Patterns and Variations. New York: Elsevier. (Fourth Edition)

Pasternak, B., C. Ember and M. Ember, 1997. Sex, Gender and Kinship. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

RECOMMENDED READINGS AND READINGS ON RESERVE

Fox, R., 1967. Kinship and Marriage. Penguin Books.

Graburn, N. (Ed.), 1971. Readings in Kinship and Social Structure. Harper and Row.

Gurian, J. and J. Gurian, 1983. The Dependency Tendency: Returning to Each Other in Modern America. University Press of America.

Keesing, R., 1976. Kin Groups and Social Structure. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Lindsey, K., 1981. Friends as Family. Beacon Press.

Selby, H., 1974. Zapotec Deviance. University of Texas Press.

Readings packets with selections from the above and articles by Yanagisako & Collier, Cohen, Rynkiewich, Wolf, Wagner & Schaffer, Tanner, and Geile will also be placed on reserve.

GRADING AND REQUIREMENTS

There will be a midterm (25%) and a final examination (35%). Both will contain objective and subjective questions. Prior to the midterm and final, a detailed review outline will be provided. The final will not be comprehensive except for important and relevant concepts covered prior to the midterm. In addition, there will be: a research paper dealing with the analysis of a selected case study of your own choosing (25%); and a short kinship "exercise" (15%).

POLICY ON PLAGERISM

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology will not accept or tolerate instances of academic fraud or plagiarism among its students or faculty. Plagiarism is an extremely serious offense. Using published or unpublished material without citing the source is plagiarism. You may use someone else's material if you enclose it in quotation marks and reference precisely its source. Such material, however, should be used sparingly, if at all. Simply paraphrasing someone else's material by minimal re-arrangement of the wording is also plagiarism. It is an equally serious offense if you write a paper for someone else, or copy someone else's work, or allow someone to copy your work. In all cases, this is cheating. Plagiarism and cheating result automatically in a grade of F for the course. College regulations also require that a letter be entered into the student's file regarding the infraction, and any second offense will lead to permanent dismissal from the university.

The principle of kinship upon which the family as well as larger kin groups are based, is an important mechanism of social organization in all societies. It is the primary principle underlying social organization in the majority of non-Western societies. Although kin groups are not recognized as being so significant within our own society, they still play a very important role in our lives. The purpose of this exercise is to focus on the meaning and importance of kinship within your own life and to thus gain a better understanding of its importance in general. In this exercise you are to carry out the following:

Your research paper may focus on the major patterns and significance of kinship in any society at any point in time (including contemporary American subcultures). A minimum of four scholarly references must be used -- a comprehensive bibliography of relevant materials, however, is NOT required. Papers must be AT LEAST ten (10) double spaced, typed pages in length but not more than twelve (12) pages maximum.

Questions To Address
 

1. What is the importance of "kinship" in the society/group you have chosen to examine? Illustrate how it is used in: economic life (important groups and relations); social organization (important groups and relations); and ideology (expression of values held by community members). NOTE: "kinship" as it is used here includes descent groups, marriage patterns, and kin relations defined by blood, marriage and other social/ritual means.