Kinship in Australian Aborigines



Kinship in Australian Aborigines

Introduction

Human beings within each culture have a set of social relations, which are classifying their members in the skeleton of families. The idea of what composes families could be fairly broad within few groups, and much narrowly classified in other groups. Relationships in kinship continue to carry on even post the bereavement of the society's members (Kroeber, 1909). This paper discusses kinship systems in a holistic context along with identification and description the kinship system within Australian Aborigines culture. In addition to this the paper provides specific examples of how the kinship system of the Australian Aborigines culture impacts the way this culture behaves.

Discussion

For a number of reasons the cultures and societies of Australian Aborigines have attracted the interests of anthropologists. Within the 19th century evolutionist anthropology, they were considered as representing the continued existence of “Stone Age man”. For Emile Durkheim, who was the renowned French sociologist, religions of the Australian Aborigines reflected the most pure and the earliest type of religions. With evolutionist anthropology's demise in the 20th century beginning, the anthropologists have become interested in Aboriginal societies and cultures for their inherent qualities (Rose, 1992).

Within the culture of the Australian Aborigines social organization is quite complicated as life within groups is thought as much imperative as compared to individuality. The groups based on languages are based upon numerous clans that have their connections with their domicile territory and with specific plants or animals or different natural elements recognized as totems. Every clan is divided in two, four or even eight “moieties” (skin groups).

The system of kinship is a basic notion within the Australian Aborigines. It establishes the display of manners, the duties and the roles of each member because it controls relationships of all kinds. For instance, as per its laws, members that belong to the similar clans are restricted to marry each other.

The way a member addresses his/her fellow members of the clan is interesting also to a great extent, although quite complicates for understanding from an external person's (one who does not belong to the Australian Aboriginal culture) point of view. For example, father and mother, are names, which are even used for uncles and aunties, whereas terms such as uncle and auntie are used to address people of old age; brother and sister are not only used for a person that shares biological parents with the person addressing, ...