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...

"The study of kinship remains a lively concern among historians, sociologists, and anthropologists. One of the very attractive features of the volume is its crossdisciplinary representation from these fields but also from literature... and] the mix of senior and junior scholars." - Mary Lindemann, University of Miami

"The essays are of uniform excellence and interest, written by established scholars, including very well known scholars; the essays also make a remarkably coherent set... and] are well focused...the research is valuable, offering original perspectives on a number of issues,...