Navajo Kinship and Marriage - Softcover

Witherspoon, Gary

3.5

6 ratings by Goodreads

9780226904177: Navajo Kinship and Marriage

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0226904172 ISBN 13: 9780226904177

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 1975

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The Navajo are one of the most studied people in the world; yet their social organization is one of the least well understood. In Navajo Kinship and Marriage, Gary Witherspoon, a fluent speaker of the Navajo language who lived among the Navajo for eight years, offers a new theoretical approach to kinship based on its cultural dimensions. Witherspoon makes a primary distinction between culture (patterns for behavior) and the system of social relations (observable patterns of behavior) in this definitive work on Navajo kinship and marriage.

"Witherspoon . . . clarifies problems pertaining to Navajo kinship and marriage through his skillful use of the concepts of cultural and social systems. He adds to the body of knowledge on the Navajo by his own fieldwork and unique life experiences." —R. S. Freed, Sociology

"Not only can Witherspoon's book on Navajo kinship help unravel the web for the Anglo willing to concentrate, it can also bring to Navajo readers an understanding of why Anglos don't understand Navajo family relationships." —Joanne Reuter, Navajo Times

"This is an important work on Navajo kinship and marriage." —David F. Aberle, American Anthropology

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From the Back Cover:

The Navajo are one of the most studied people in the world, yet their social organization is one of the least well understood. Gary Witherspoon is uniquely qualified to provide that understanding; he has lived with the Navajo for fourteen years and speaks their language. In this definitive work, he combines an extraordinarily high quality of observational material with an innovative theoretical framework. Witherspoon's clear and concise book questions the adequacy of traditional sociological approaches to kinship, making a primary distinction between culture (patterns for behavior) and the system of social relations (observable patterns of behavior).

Review:

The Navajo are one of the most studied people in the world, yet their social organization is one of the least understood. Gary Witherspoon is uniquely qualified to provide that understanding because he has lived with the Navajo for fourteen years and speaks their language fluently. Navajo Kinship And Marriage is a definitive work combining an extraordinarily high quality of observational material with an innovate theoretical framework. Witherspoon's clear and concise text questions the adequacy of traditional sociological approaches to kinship, making a primary distinction between culture (patterns for behavior) and the system of social relations (observable patterns of behavior). Navajo Kinship And Marriage is a splendid addition to any contemporary Native American studies reading list. -- Midwest Book Review

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