Puru DubeyAIR 86 · CSE 2025 · 269 wordsTheir whole copy
Opening · a restatement
It is often argued that nuclearisation of families bodes death of kinship studies. Yet kinship studies remain relevant due to technology, newer patterns of kinship in society.
RISE OF NUCLEAR FAMILIES AND DECLINING RELEVANCE OF KINSHIP STUDIES
With nuclearisation, the traditional role of kinship as source of identity, jural authority and part of daily life gets diminished. Nuclear families transmit these roles to other institutions or take them up themselves.
In this context, it may be assumed by many that kinship studies have reduced relevance. However, this view is challenged by evolving relevance of kinship.
Body · points
SOCIAL MEDIA & KINSHIP kinship remains relevant through social media where kin groups constitute a unit. They play a role in festivals, rituals and community activities. Families connect to each other via social media.
TECHNOLOGY & KINSHIP Technology has problematised the earlier notion of kinship as driven by blood alone. Kinship studies today study surrogate motherhood and how motherhood itself splits into two - genetic and gestational.
Globalization leads to international patterns of kinship. Anandita Majumdar's study has shown how Muslim couples from Gulf come to India for surrogacy since Islamic countries prohibit it.
KINSHIP OF CHOICE
If kinships of blood may be in decline, kinships of choice have made appearance. Kath Weston studied LGBTQ groups and saw families of choice. LGBTQ individuals treat these families as more important than families of blood.
GLOBALISATION AND NEW KINSHIP PATTERNS
Globalisation has led to new kinship patterns such as blended family, single parent families which demand attention of sociology.
Close · a summary
To argue that kinship studies have limited sociological relevance therefore would amount to unattending to new realities.