A basic text book on classical kinship theory is:

Fox, Robin 1967 Kinship and marriage: An anthropological perspective. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books.

Lévi-Strauss, Claude 1969 [1949] The elementary structures of kinship. Tr. by J. Bell and J. von Sturmer Boston: Beacon Press.

One should only read the following now classic critique once one has well understood the classical controversies about kinship.

Schneider, David 1984 A critique of the study of kinship. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.

Enventually one should read some of the original sources. The following are good examples of social-structural analyses:

Morgan, Lewis H. 1870 Systems of consanguinity and affinity of the human family. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Contributions to knowledge No. 17. Radcliffe-Brown, A. R. 1965 [1940] Structure and Function in Primitive Society . New York: The Free Press. Rivers, W.H.R. 1968 [1914] Kinship and social organization. With commentaries by R. Firth and D. Schneider New York: Humanities Press.

The following are examples of analyses emphasizing the representational aspects of kinship practices:

Kroeber, A.L. 1909 "Classificatory systems of relationship" Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 39: 77-84.

For a very basic tutorial in kinship terms and analytical categories one may consult Brian Shwimmer's site.

September 23, 1997