Family, Gender and Kinship in Australia: The Social and Cultural Logic of Practice and Subjectivity

Allon J. Uhlmann

Allon Uhlmann’s book is a hard-headed yet empathic analysis of how family, gender, and kinship are shaped culturally and socially, through his critique and modification of Bourdieu’s theory of practice in an Australian habitus. A most welcome contribution – theoretically, methodologically – to intensive studies of social practice.

Don Handelman, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

Relying on his ethnographic material and on his analysis of the history and sociology of the Australian family, Uhlmann creatively engages Bourdieu’s practice theory and sets his ethnographic data in a broader context of historical continuities and social change, including the very structure of Australian capitalism. In its interrogation of both empirical research and social theory, the book promises to become a landmark in the anthropology and sociology of the Australian family.

Ian Keen, Australian National University, Australia

Allon Uhlmann has written a compelling and deeply relevant ethnographic work. Rich in detail and insightful analysis, this book is a high water mark in the study of family, gender and kinship. Uhlmann demonstrates the strength and quality of ethnographic vantages and shows how Bourdieu’s theories of practice can inform social analysis. Complementing earlier work, this book positions Newcastle and the Hunter region as a fertile field in Australian anthropology.

Deane Fergie, The University of Adelaide, Australia

This ethnographically based exploration provides a comprehensive analysis of family, gender and kinship in Australia, with profound implications for the way we understand modern kinship and gender at large. The discussion covers a wide range of themes from techniques of the body, the experience of relatedness and the structure of family households all the way to the very dynamics of contemporary capitalism. The analysis challenges some common beliefs and perceptions about this critical social field, even as it showcases a novel analytical approach that is rooted in the sociology of practice and in the anthropology of cognition.

A.J. Uhlmann, Department of Anthropology, Clark Hall 507, University of Missouri - St. Louis, One University Blvd. - St. Louis, MO 63121 USA
Phone +1 314-516-6024; Fax ·+1 314 516-7235
Email uhlmanna AT umsl DOT edu

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Last updated on 29 May 2006