Sibling Relations and the Transformations of European Kinship, 1300-1900 | National Humanities Center

Work of the Fellows: Edited Volumes

Sibling Relations and the Transformations of European Kinship, 1300-1900

Edited by David Warren Sabean (NHC Fellow, 2008–09) and Christopher H. Johnson

European History; Kinship; Families; Cultural History; Social History

New York: Berghahn Books, 2011

From the publisher’s description:

Recently considerable interest has developed about the degree to which anthropological approaches to kinship can be used for the study of the long-term development of European history. From the late middle ages to the dawn of the twentieth century, kinship - rather than declining, as is often assumed - was twice reconfigured in dramatic ways and became increasingly significant as a force in historical change, with remarkable similarities across European society. Applying interdisciplinary approaches from social and cultural history and literature and focusing on sibling relationships, this volume takes up the challenge of examining the systemic and structural development of kinship over the long term by looking at the close inner-familial dynamics of ruling families (the Hohenzollerns), cultural leaders (the Mendelssohns), business and professional classes, and political figures (the Gladstones)in France, Italy, Germany, and England. It offers insight into the current issues in kinship studies and draws from a wide range of personal documents: letters, autobiographies, testaments, memoirs, as well as genealogies and works of art.

Subjects
Anthropology / History / European History / Kinship / Families / Cultural History / Social History /

Sabean, David Warren (NHC Fellow, 2008–09), ed. Sibling Relations and the Transformations of European Kinship, 1300-1900. Edited by David Warren Sabean and Christopher H. Johnson. New York: Berghahn Books, 2011.