Write a short l-2page essay on q of the following themes: l. Kinship
U.S. society uses a lineal kinship terminology, reflecting the importance of the nuclear
family of parents and children (Kottak 20t7:212). Reflect on the nuclear family you
grew up in: your family of orientation. How important are your lineal relatives (your
grandparents, parents, and perhaps your own children)? Are all of your collateral relatives
(siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews) less important to you than your lineal
relatives? Is there a difference between those from your mother’s and your father’s side
of the family? How close are you to your affinals (e.g., sister’s husband, brother’s wife)?
Kottak (2017:D\identifred “the work ethic and individualism” as core cultural values in
the United States. Do you agree with him? Reflect on the importance of the work ethic
and individualism in your own life. Does your individualism sometimes clash with your
work ethic? Is the work ethic also a core value for students? Can you think of other U.S.
core values that Kottak should add to the 1Sft edition of his textbook? If you can, please
argue why these are equally important and specify your information sources. (Note:
Foreign students may also describe and reflect upon what they consider to be the core
cultural values of their own country or their parents’ country of origin.)
3. Gender
Gender roles are changing in the U.S., influenced by increased female employment and
self-actualizationneeds for both men and women (Kottak 2017 184-185, 230). Reflect
how these changing gender roles have affected your own life and compare this to your
mother (if you are a woman) or to your father (if you are a man). Do you prefer the
current gender roles or the traditional ones of the 1950s? Why?