Claude Lévi-Strauss

Question 1

Incest taboo (2)

Answer 1

A) Stimulation of cross-cousin marriage:
Brother gives away his sister as a gift to another tribe in order to strengthen relations
Therefore parallel cousins are part of your tribe to be given away, while cross-cousins might be gifted to your tribe i.e. you :D

B) Makes exchange necessary
This creates society

Question 2

Kinship (2)

Answer 2

A) Elementary structure of kinship:
1. Maternal uncle, mother, father and child
2. The value of their relation (+/-)

B) Like a language -> expressible in mathematical scheme

Question 3

Structuralism (6)

Answer 3

A) Object of study is a formal system of interrelated elements = a system of differences

B) Meaning resides in the relations of these elements

C) These relations are differences

D) Aim:
Uncovering the deep structures underlying meaningful phenomena

E) Almost like maths
(A is to B as C is to D…)

F) Steps:
1. Define object of study as a relation between elements
2. Construct a table of possible permutations between these
3. This table is now the object of study, the one at the beginning is only one possible combination