Family & Household in Anthropology & History

The anthropology of complex societies has shown the domestic group to be highly significant in numerous dimensions of social life, from the division of labor to religious practice. Thus, variations in domestic arrangements and relations, whether over time or between groups, provide useful insight into broader apsects of society and culture. This course surveys domestic variations and attempts to explain them. Special attention is paid to the role of gender and contemporary efforts to redefine the very notion of kinship, especially as embodied in debates over same sex marriage and gay/lesbian families.

Fall, Spring