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Informal Session: Brothers and Sisters Going Global:
New Perspectives on Pacific Kinship Our session intended to examine the continuing importance of the brother-sister kinship bond in the twenty-first century, highlighting both transformations in values and practices as well as continuity through historical and social change. Unfortunately, due to transportation issues related to inclement weather, only one of our session participants was able to attend the ASAO meeting, and thus the session was cancelled for the 2010 meeting. At this time we do not have plans to re-convene the session at the 2011 meeting, although we may decide to expand the topic slightly and/or try to organize a session at a later point this year. A brief description of the informal session: The brother-sister sibling relationship has long been a topic of interest for anthropologists of the Pacific. In a number of cultural groups spanning all parts of the region, terms of address, specific rules for the distribution and exchange of resources, and other aspects of daily social life related to this bond have been shown to be rich in cultural meaning as well as critical to social organization and the maintenance of social identity. Now, as anthropology increasingly broadens its gaze to encompass global processes and transnational forces, it is important to understand how cross-gender sibling ties shape local understandings of global processes, even as these relationships are transformed through local economic and political developments, circular migration, and other large-scale forces. This session seeks to examine the multifarious ideas, interactions, and practices shaping brother-sister kinship ties in the twenty-first century. Questions or expressions of interest in this session can be sent to the organizer. Mary Good, PhD Candidate, University of Arizona, School of Anthropology, Tucson, AZ 85721-0030 USA; <mkgood@email.arizona.edu> |
