Cultural Anthropology: Kinship Of The Sans

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Kinship of the Sans Shanitha White Ashford University ANT101: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Kinship of the Sans 1 During this time day and age technology is everywhere and there are still people who have no idea the impact that technology has had on our lives. Before all the technologies came along many people lived a foraging lifestyle. Foraging is a lifestyle based on hunting and gathering material needed for daily living. In foraging communities, especially among the San societies, maintaining strong unions within their nuclear families and with those of related nuclear family is important to their community. San men have a formidable reputation as trackers and hunters. San trackers will follow the tracks of…show more content…
There is little to no conflict within the groups due to the small groups, and the fact that everyone knows one another. According to the text, “kinship is the central organizing principle” (Nowak & Laird, 2010). Personal independence is respected among the young and the elder. There is no judicial figure; however, there are informal headmen and in some cases head women. Both genders are looked at equally so the leader of the group can be either male or female. There is no formal organization of selecting a headman. They are normally well respected amongst the group, an elder, charming, kind, and knowledgeable of their surroundings. The headman primary duties are to assist the group when searching for new grounds, hunting, and gathering areas. If the group does not agree with the headman as a group they will deliberated and come to a consensus. Reciprocity is the mutual exchange of goods. The exchange of goods between kin is good because foragers move frequently and are unable to store food and must consume them rapidly to avoid spoilage. San believe in generalized reciprocity; they give with no expectation and believe that down the line things will even out. According to the text, “generalized reciprocity is based on socially recognized family and kin relationships” (Nowak & Laird, 2010). They are sharing with neighbors who happen to be kin. This type of generosity helps to provide…show more content…
Nuclear families as well as blended, single parent and fictive kin are how some African American families live. A family will consist of a husband, wife, their children as well as elderly relatives. The father is generally the “bread winner” but over time woman has been looked at as an equal and contributes to the household financially as well. Generalized reciprocity is followed in some families. On Sundays families gather for dinner to fellowship, laugh, and catch up. Normally an elder does the cooking and those around help, but from time to time they get to sit down while their children cook. It is not common for a groom to move in with the family. If the man does stay in the family home the man and woman cannot share the same room until they are married. Normally a man will ask the father of

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