Kinship, equality, and hierarchy: Sex distinction and values in comparative perspective

Abstract

This article deals with the notion of equality in Louis Dumont’s work, specifically relative to ideology and sex distinction in kinship terminology. It provides a new reading of his writings on kinship, analyzing his discussion of South Indian terminology and marriage, the contrasting value of affinity and consanguinity in caste society, and equality of the sexes. Dumont’s works on kinship are used to open a comparative examination of sex distinction in kinship terminology. This article seeks to extend this analysis of equality and hierarchy in kinship to other societies and ideologies, in order to explore the applicability of this approach to understanding of contemporary transformations in kinship relationships.