Kinship categories are fundamental to the study of anthropology, as they are the basis by which societies and cultures are formed. Family kinship categories are broad and generally universal, as human beings must pass on their genes in the same ways regardless of culture. For example, family kin categories include kin types such as mother, father, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, grandmother, and so forth. Even in modern industrialized cultures in which many kinship ties are irrelevant for the social fabric of the society, kinship categories still exist. However, each culture will ascribe a different meaning, role, and function to various kin types. Regardless of how the kin types function and what their roles are within the society, the kinship categories remain the same. A mother will be a mother in any society, and a brother. Nevertheless, some cultures use far different kinship terminologies: for example, the mother's brother will be...
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