Kinship, the way of determining and defining relationships and the characteristics and obligations that come with those relations, is prevalent in all cultures. Kinship has a unique look in every culture, but across the board kinship is an important component, and relationships between all humans are highly valued in all societies. Thanksgiving, a holiday celebrated […]
Orientation to Procreation
In interviewing my parents, they both mentioned It was a strange experience switching from spending your Thanksgiving with those you grew up with, or your family of orientation, to getting married and then spending It with your new nuclear family, or your family of procreation. These are two types of familial kinship ties in American […]
Homecoming
For college students, like myself, Thanksgiving break can be the first time you reconnect with your friends from your hometown since being at school. The reunion of these friendships reflects kinship in American culture, because I consider my friends as my second “family, this goes to show the vast popularity and variety of chosen families […]
Thankful?
Bridgeport Village Black Friday shopping occurs the night of Thanksgiving and all of the next day. It is a big reflections of American culture-shopping and material things are unfortunately highly valued in American society. I went this year to Bridgeport Village- a popular outdoor mall in my town. Black Friday reflects kinship by not only […]
Choice
The Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Civil War game falls every Thanksgiving weekend. I attended this year with my absolute best friends, who I not only consider my best friends, but my sisters. This is another example of how, especially in American culture, families of choice are defining more kin-relationships. This is not only evident […]
Religion & Kinship
Thanksgiving in American culture typically has some sort of religious tie-in, for example, a prayer before the feast. Religion is a common grounding of kinship in that it connects people on a deeper platform and creates a sort of “chosen family” within a church or identifying as a certain religion as a whole. Especially in […]
Setting
Thanksgiving dinner, reflecting connection and familial ties in itself, takes place, usually, around a large table in American culture. This setting reinforces kinship, sharing this meal face-to-face, connecting and talking and sharing common obligations that define the relationships around the table. Across cultures, sharing a meal is a sign of intimacy and kinship, and It […]
Intimate Commodity
The meal shared on Thanksgiving in American culture is arguably the highlight of the holiday. Consisting typically of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and more. Sharing this meal, and sharing meals in general in American culture, reflects kinship. Food is very intimate, as in you not only put It straight into […]
Teams
It is a common tradition in American culture to watch American football on Thanksgiving day. Kinship is reflected in this by not only bringing the American nation together as a kin group connected by a common interest and obligation to watch football, but teams are often considered small “families”, and typically not blood-related ones. I […]
One Big Family
On the television is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, an annual Thanksgiving tradition consisting of giant floats where thousands of people gather in New York to watch and thousands more watch on television. This parade, in a sense, brings together the American nation as one large kinship group- united through common citizenship and sense of […]