Family, gender and identity

In: Contributions to Indian sociology, Band 44, Heft 1-2, S. 155-178

Abstract

As Patricia Uberoi's work has shown, the 'family' is a key site on which questions of culture, identity and authenticity are played out. This article looks at two contexts of matrilineal kinship, among the Mosuo of Yunan (China) and the Khasi of Meghalaya (India), and traces the different trajectories the matrilineal system has undergone. In the Mosuo case, matrilineal kinship is enlisted and strengthened in the service of tourism. It also serves as a marker of Mosuo identity against dominant nationalities. In the Khasi case on the other hand, Khasi identity politics has involved a more conflicted approach to the Khasi matrilineal system, with some people wanting it to give way to patriliny in the name of progress, and others wishing to preserve it. In both cases, it is the women who bear the burden of upholding identity.