ANTH/WMNS 326 Issues in the Anthropology of Kinship
Winter 2018
REMEMBER THAT ESSAY PROPOSALS ARE DUE ON MONDAY 5 MARCH IN CLASS.
Feb. 28: Adoption
Required
readings: Howell, Signe and Diana Marre (2006) “To kin a
transnationally adopted child in Norway and Spain: The achievement of
resemblances and belonging.” Ethnos 71(3): 293-316.
- what are the circumstances around transnational adoption in Norway and Spain?
- how are they similar and different, in terms of demographic
statistics, cultural values around family life, interest in
transnational adoptions, restrictiveness of regulations, reasons for
seeking transnational adoption, type of transnational adoption
preferred, etc.
- how do these relate to the distinct characters of Norwegian and Spanish society?
- note the reference to how Western Europe and North America understand kinship in terms of "biological connectedness"
- how do Howell and Marre describe the “kinning process” in Norway and Spain?
- what goes into the “pre-pregnancy,” “pregnancy,” and “birthing” stages?
- what does the process of incorporating an adopted child into a kin group involve for adoptive parents?
- how does this work of kinning compare to the kin work and
labour discussed by Pande? - how does this make us think about the
cultural constructedness of kinship, as opposed to its “natural “ or
“instinctive “ character?
- why do you think there are so many
similarities in how adoptive parents “kin” their children in Norway and
Spain, despite the great differences between the two societies?
- how do adopted children relate to immigrants?
- how can we compare this to the discussion in the Krause and Marchesi article
- how can the contradiction between policies promoting
transnational adoption and those aiming to limit immigration be
understood? Why do countries tacitly or legally permit some forms of
immigration and not others?
- another wrinkle: the international politics of transnational adoption https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/7/21/16005500/adoption-russia-us-orphans-abuse-trump
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