ANTH 303 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Sherry Ortner, Nuclear Family, Practice Theory
Document Summary
Wanted to find structure in the human mind, underlying patterns in human thought. Assumed that these patterns would be universal, because way mind works is universal. Binary opposites-- can"t exist without one another. Elementary units of culture, comparisons, similarities of cultures all around world because thinks it will tell him about structure of human thought. Avunculate -- relationship between child and their uncle. Matrilineal = descent marked from the mother"s line. In patrilineal society: mother"s brother and child get along. In matrilineal society: much more formal and distant relationship with mother"s brother. Levi-strauss looking for binaries in kinship and mythology. Hypothesis: if the wife and the husband have a positive relationship, then the sister and the brother will have a negative/formal distant relationship. If sister and brother have positive relationship, the wife and husband have a negative relationship. If child has positive relationship with father, then child has negative relationship with uncle.
