Anthropologists have long been fascinated by kinship and marriage, which are central to human social organisation and to relationships of gender and power. In this subject we look at how anthropological approaches to these forms of relationships have changed over time and critically assess recent work in this field. We examine the role and significance of kinship and marriage in many different societies, looking at the diverse ways humans create families, and topics such as the concept of love and the darker side of kinship - family violence. The future of kinship and marriage will also be considered, in the light of continuing social change and the development of new reproductive technologies.

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