Kinship, Networks, and Exchange (Structural Analysis in the Social Sciences) (Hardcover)

by Thomas Schweizer (Editor), Douglas R. White (Editor) "The arguments put forward in this book are intended to help revitalize the study of kinship and exchange..." (more)
Key Phrases: kmie kha, binna marriages, bridewealth distribution, Cambridge University Press, Kong Thei, Pul Eliya (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The intent of this collection of original essays is to revitalize the study of kinship and exchange in a social network perspective. The collection combines studies of empirical systems of marriage and descent with investigations of the flow of material resources. This book marks the emergence of a new era in the study of kinship and exchange using a productive combination of ethnographic substance with formal methods, one which leaves behind older structural-functionalist and culturalist assumptions.

Book Description
The intent of this collection of original essays is to revitalize the study of kinship and exchange in a social network perspective. The collection combines studies of empirical systems of marriage and descent with investigations of the flow of material resources. This book marks the emergence of a new era in the study of kinship and exchange using a productive combination of ethnographic substance with formal methods, one which leaves behind older structural-functionalist and culturalist assumptions.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (June 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521590213
• ISBN-13: 978-0521590211
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,404,133 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Advances in kinship network studies, November 4, 1998

By	Eric Widmer - See all my reviews

This book gathers 15 contributions written by the most distinguished international scholars in the field of kinship. It provides an extensive view on methodological and theoretical advances in kinship studies, as well as several in-depth case studies that illustrate how those methods and concepts might be applied.

One main strength of the book is to present a perspective that is at the same time formal (with an emphasis on mathematical concepts and measures), and historical. In other words, unlike many quantitative kinship studies, those papers are respective of the richness of ethnographic information, and do not dismiss the peculiarities of contexts or time periods. Quite to the contrary, actions and decisions regarding kinship are seen as "embedded in specific nexus of social relations" (p. 1). Houseman and White, for instance, in their reanalysis of Leach's classical study on Pul Eliya, are able to show how matrimonial alliances are explained by a theory of practice grounded in the circumstances of the material environment and the social network (p. 83), which are historical in nature. Considering social constraints as emerging interactional realities enables the authors to defy structural determinism, while keeping the project of scientific explanation.

Conceptual and methodological advances are numerous. Duran Bell's article, for instance, suggests to reinterpret bridewealth, dowry and marriage exchange, in relation with corporate groups, and provides an interesting alternative to an analytical perspective in which reciprocity is the elementary unit of social action. One methodological advance that will undoubtedly excite people interested in kinship is the PGRAPH kinship graph, developed by Douglas White, one of the editors, along with Paul Jorion. Unlike conventional genealogical graphs, PGRAPH considers couples as nodes, and individuals as edges, thus providing a very straightforward representation of the kinship space, that enables one to discover relational structures, in cases where conventional genealogical graphs are of very limited help. The software producing PGRAPHS can be downloaded from Douglas White's home page.

In addition to the presentation of methodological and conceptual advances, readers will enjoy reading fascinating case studies, ranging from Papua New Guinea, India, to Mediterranean communities. Thus, this book satisfied my appetite for rigorous and up to date formal analysis, while providing this touch of exoticism that makes good Anthropology books.