SOSANT2270 – Contemporary studies in kinship and gender
Course content
Gender and kinship are key issues in anthropology, although the latter has traditionally carried much more weight than the former.
Whereas kinship has to a certain extent framed the discipline of anthropology, gender studies first gained momentum in the 1970s, fomenting a critical perspective on the discipline as a whole, including kinship.
As analytical concepts, kinship and gender converge around the debates on natural differences, biological givens, and the ethnocentric bias of the use of these concepts in anthropology: that kinship and gender studies have been based on a western folk model of human reproduction and that the (sexual) difference between men and women have been seen as pre-social.
Within contemporary anthropology, kinship and gender are viewed as mutually constitutive; one cannot be properly grasped without paying due attention to the other. Both kinship and gender are about relational practices, articulating different forms of relatedness.
Moreover, there is a general recognition that not only are there cross-cultural variations in the way kinship and gender are perceived and practiced but that also within any one society there may be different elaborations of kinship and gender. This course will focus on the nature of such elaborations, both practices and processes, as these are productive of social inequalities and notions of difference more generally. Thus we will explore how kinship and gender practices inform social relations of:
- equality
- hierarchy
- ambivalence
- violence
Whereas the study of gender has increased its significance within complex, modern societies, the contrary, it appears, holds true for kinship.
Among social scientists, there has been a tendency to assume that with modernity, kinship loses its organizing and explanatory force. However, as this course will demonstrate, both kinship and gender are central to our understandings of contemporary societies.
One domain where kinship and gender intersect is reproduction, amply evident in practices of assisted conception. Ideas and practices of kinship and gender are also vital to:
- politics
- economy
- religion and Law
- race
- personhood
- bodies
Drawing on a cross-cultural perspective, and with a view to critical reflection, the course aims to explore the kinds of contemporary phenomena that kinship and gender help to elucidate and how these two core modes of relatedness come together.
Learning outcome
Knowledge
- a general understanding of the relevance of kinship and gender theories
- analytical perspectives on gender and kinship
- insight into the mutually constitutive role of kinship and gender
- significance of kinship/gender for grasping contemporary phenomena and processes
- appreciate the significance of comparative analysis
Skills
- increased analytical competence and critical reflection
- ability to read texts with a view to kinship and gender, both empirically and theoretically
- familiarity with key approaches to gender and kinship studies
- ability to develop an argument based on academic sources
- critically examine links between theoretical, analytical and empirical arguments
Competencies
- achieve an independent critical mind
- the ability to express arguments both written and verbally
- achieve basic knowledge of academic integrity, including the correct use of references/sources
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Prerequisites
Recommended previous knowledge
Basic knowledge of Social Anthropology.
Teaching
Lectures take place throughout the semester.
Examination
Take-home exam.
Use of sources and citation
You should familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to the use of sources and citations. If you violate the rules, you may be suspected of cheating/attempted cheating.
Language of examination
You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
It is recommended to request an explanation of your grade before you decide to appeal.
Appeal
Explanation
The deadline to request an explanation is one week after the grade is published. For oral and practical examinations, the deadline is immediately after you have received your grade.
The explanation should normally be given within two weeks after you have asked for it. The examiner decides whether the explanation is to be given in writing or verbally.
Ask for an explanation in this topic
Resit an examination
If you are sick or have another valid reason for not attending the regular exam, we offer a postponed exam later in the same semester.
See also our information about resitting an exam.
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.