Inter-Caste Adoption in India: Effects on Kinship and Caste as Understood by the Adoptive Family

Authors

Kelly Hacker, Brigham Young University
Dr. Charles Nuckolls, Brigham Young University

Keywords

inter-caste, India, kinship, adoptive family, social rearing, social identity

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Anthropology

Abstract

In his studies of kinship (1984), David Schneider put forth the theory that kinship is not inherently biologically-based, but is rather a symbolic and flexible understanding of the relationship between individuals. Inter-caste adoption in India, where a husband and wife adopt an unrelated child born to parents of a different caste, presents itself as an interesting testing ground for this theory, as both biological unrelatedness and a difference in caste must be overcome in the creation of kinship between adoptive family and adoptee.

Recommended Citation

Hacker, Kelly and Nuckolls, Dr. Charles (2013) "Inter-Caste Adoption in India: Effects on Kinship and Caste as Understood by the Adoptive Family," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013: Iss. 1, Article 155.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/155