All in the Junkab’al
All in the Junkab’al
This chapter explores Q'eqchi' “houses” (junkab'als), as defined by Lévi-Strauss, and analyzes the logic of Q'eqchi' kinship. While consanguinity and marriage play roles in governing Q'eqchi' kin relations, they are not the only, nor the most important, criteria for kinship. Instead, the Q'eqchi' use exchange, among other activities, to create, perform, and maintain relationships of shared substance. Vendors bring new individuals into their families through marketing and use their junkab'alaffiliations to legitimize themselves as marketers. The strong connection between kinship and marketing leads vendors to designate house members as heirs to their positions. It is argues that for Chamelco's marketers and their families, kinship and marketing are mutually encompassing entities.
Keywords: Q'eqchi' kinship, house, junkab'al, marketing, Chamelco, marketers
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