On the Alleged Disjunction between Cultural and Darwinian Understandings of Human Kinship

Abstract

Various anthropologists have aUeged that cultural constructions of kinship are at odds with Darwinian understandings of the same phenomena. The argument here is that this is not at aU the case if attention is paid to the semantic structure of kinship categories, which reveals that the central members of these categories are indeed close procreative kin. Attention is also drawn to supporting research in cognitive psychology.

Kinship is Central to Self-Concept

“…Both the traditional Darwinian conceptualization of kinship and cultural conceptualizations of kinship are integrated as the primary support system of individuals. As such, both assist with survival as well as psychological well-being (Shapiro 2014). This expanded notion of kinship develops at an early age.…”