Kinship is established as a special branch of study in social anthropology. Any study in social anthropology is incomplete without an elaborate description of kinship.
However, whatever anthropological studies and monographs pertaining to various tribal groups in India that we have hardly provide any insight into kinship. Interestingly, the eminent social anthropologists who have brought out classical monographs make only a passing reference to kinship.
This is a sad commentary on our achievements. However, Iravati Karve and Kathleen Gough have worked excellently in the field of kinship.
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Those who study kinship have a kit of conceptual framework which helps them analyze kinship behaviour adequately. We would, therefore, discuss a few of the concepts which are central to the study of kin relations.
Kinship emerges only with reference to a particular person. If we talk about a daughter, it presupposes parents. Daughter originates from parents. Similarly, if we talk of nephew, there is surely some uncle.
Thus, there cannot be daughter and nephew without the kind of parents and uncle. Kin are broadly divided into two categories: kin from the side of mother and those from the side of the father. In Europe as well as in our sub-continent both the mother and father’s sides are equally important. These relations belong to both the genders.