Anthropological method · IDS teaching guide
Genealogy & Kinship Mapping
Trace socially recognized relationships, descent, marriage, adoption, mentorship, and obligation.
Trace socially recognized relationships, descent, marriage, adoption, mentorship, and obligation.
Star Wars teaching example
What this method helps us notice
The Skywalker family is the obvious genealogy, but Mandalorian foundlings, clone brotherhood, Jedi lineages, political houses, and chosen families show why kinship mapping must go beyond biological descent.
How a researcher would use it
Move from a question to evidence
A researcher begins with a focused question, identifies what evidence the method can provide, records context rather than isolated details, and compares observations with other sources. The method becomes useful when it helps distinguish what is known, what participants say, what the researcher interprets, and what remains uncertain.
Important limit
Do not confuse the analogy with real fieldwork
A family tree alone does not explain kinship. The important question is what rights, duties, identities, inheritance, and expectations a relationship creates.
Use it with IDS