Affinités électives et parenté arabe

Abstract

Arab kinship cannot be understood through the sole rhetoric of patrilineal descent so dominant in both Arab societies and anthropological literature. Yet, the establishment of ties of elective kinship, little publicised and seldom studied, is unavoidable in societies that privilege marriage between brothers'children. Indeed, this form of marriage, if practiced exclusively, cannot be reproduced from generation to generation. Thus structurally occasioned, pacts of affiliation, cousinship or brotherhood are, nonetheless, negotiated and chosen. They ensure subtle transitions and accommodations between the intimately associated spheres of kinship and politics, and contribute to maintain collective identities beyond the frequent estrangement of close agnates. © Éditions de l'EHESS. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays.