Yanomamo.final

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University of Nairobi**We aren't endorsed by this school

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SOCI 120

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Anthropology

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Dec 19, 2024

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1The Patrilineal Kinship Patterns and Marriage Rules among the YanomamoStudent’s NameInstitution AffiliationProfessor’s NameCourseDate

2IntroductionThe Yanomamo are a native population inhabiting the Amazon rainforest in Venezuela and Brazil. They are characterized by their practices of patrilineal inheritance, marriage practices, and sexual division of labor (Ferguson, 2015). According to the above information, I think that Yanomamo men are more involved in administrative matters of society than women, who are mostly confined to the home duties of child-rearing, cleaning and cooking. Such gender differences, therefore, lead to the emergence of issues where one gender is over-exploited or abused, and this is not counted as abuse.Patrilineal Kinship PatternsCurrent Yanomamo cultural practices follow the patrilineal system of descent and inheritance since the male child is construed as the lineal heir. A person is affiliated with the father's side of the family, and this group is supposed to fend for the person. These practices also affect their hierarchical social/political setup. Most leaders in this system inherit the position from their fathers. Marriage RulesMen's marriage style involves polygyny, where a man can have as many women as he can afford to take care of. They also engage in what is known as a trade exchange or marriage, where a man can marry a woman only if a female member from his side marries a man from the woman's side. It also enhances partnership between families and ensures that both parties reciprocate. The other practice is cross-cousin marriage, whereby a man can marry his mother's brother's daughter or father's sister's daughter (Lauer & Lauer, 2023).

3Division of LaborGender-based division of labor is particularly outlined among the Yanomamo, whereby the men and women have distinct roles. Males are chiefly engaged in hunting, defending the community, and tool fabrication, while females are responsible foraging for plant foods, preparing foods, childbearing, and child care. This division of labor is even connected with their kinship and marriage patterns, where men's roles are more or less to be outdoors, and women's are intimately related to the home and the family (Lauer & Lauer, 2023).Child RearingParents of Yanomamo children ensure that young people know what is expected of them according to their sex. Boys are doomed to become territorial, competitive, and even aggressive. This is due to training them for their rightful call as hunters or warriors (Ferguson, 2015). They are expected to be docile, so they are trained to be caring and conform to the family norms expected of them, especially women who are to become mothers and housewives (Lauer & Lauer, 2023). Existing or Potential ProblemsThe Yanomamo social relations and organization of power about gender and kinship relationships have been pointed out as patriarchal and as maintaining the subordinate position of women. Our heroine occupies a subordinate weaker position in comparison with men, and the position of women and their activities are less significant. This may result in issues like domesticviolence and a limited chance for women in society (Ferguson, 2015). Two present and future issues of gender difference between the Yanomamo are as follows. There is no emotional support, which can be a current and future issue. Moreover, the Yanomamo’s behavior is being

4less and less tolerated by modern legislation and morality, especially where polygyny and child marriage are concerned. To conclude, the Yanomamo's kinship patterns, the rules of marriage, and the division of labor are tightly connected and are very important in the structure of their social and cultural life.However, the above practices also have their difficulties and issues, such as cases of woman being harassed, beaten up, assaulted, or even murdered by their husband.

5ReferencesFerguson, R. B. (2015). History, explanation, and war among the Yanomamo: A response to Chagnon’s noble savages. Anthropological Theory, 15(4), 377–406. https://doi.org/10.1177/1463499615595166 Lauer, R. H., & Lauer, J. C. (2023). Social problems and the quality of life(15th ed.). McGraw Hill