Cultural Anthropology
Anthropology describes kinship as the study of how different cultures and individuals in a community relate to each other. There exist relationships within a given community or even outside a community (Gordon, 1999). These relationships have various implications to different individuals. Kinship also originates from various incidences. Among the foraging and the Horticultural based societies, kinship is highly values because it determines how individuals in such a community support each other. This research paper aims at describing the kinship system of the San community.
San is a group of people who live in Kalahari Desert (Barnes, 1961). The main economic activity of the San people involves hunting the wild animals and finding roots which can then be eaten by the family members. According to the kinship system, there exists a family. The family members usually include people who are related by blood. This group of people usually lives in a camp. They include, father, mother, children, aunt, uncle and grandparents. When the animals are hunted and roots gathered, they are usually brought to the camp where they are shared among the family members. All the visitors in the camp get a share of the food. This culture of the people related by blood living together in a camp ensures that there is sharing of food. There are several nuclear families in the camp that form the extended family. Since these people live together as a family, they are able to help the weak in the society and hence the problems of each individual in the family are solved. From this culture, it can be observed that individuals are taken care of from birth to old age in the camp. There is therefore support between individuals throughout the life of an individual.
There is also the blood relationship between the San people. Relationship between individuals can be traced from the mother’s lineage or from the fathers’ lineage. As a result, it is believed in the society that an individual is likely to find a relative in every clan. This shows that the kinship of the san community does not only relate to the blood relationship but also includes relationship that occurs as a result of marriage (Gordon, 1999). The consequence of this is that there is peace between the various clans. These clans can never fight because every individual has the knowledge that he/she has a relative in the other clans. In this case, a family with food problems is able to migrate to their relatives in other clans to get support. Individuals in the community support each other regardless of the clan according to the culture of the San people.
Marriage is another important culture in the San community. According to the culture, an individual is prohibited to marry a wife with a name similar to that of his/her parents or close relatives. Individuals also prohibit marrying close relatives such as cousins. The aim of this is to encourage marriage from other clans. This culture puts a limit on the number of wives one can marry. In addition, marriage from other clans helps to strengthen relationships by creation of kinships (Barnes, 1961).
According to the American community, people live separately. The basic unit of the society is a nuclear family with mother, father and children. This is as opposed to the san community where there is an extended family living in a camp. In addition, food is not shared to the relatives according to the American culture since individuals live separately. In addition, there is no limitation on the person to marry according to the American society. Individuals have their different beliefs mostly according to their religion.
In conclusion, the San culture is a culture that encourages peace and close relationships between individuals. However, there is a big difference between the san and American culture as described.
References.
Barnes, J.A. (1961). "Physical and Social Kinship". Philosophy of Science
Gordon, Robert J. (1999). The Bushman Myth: The Making of a Namibian Underclass. Academic Press.
