Metaphors of Thriving – Century of Studying Kinship in Latvia

Description

Various agendas served as impetus for studying kinship a century ago, from scrutinizing pedigrees of outstanding personalities to shaping ethnic consciousness in ordinary citizens. The common denominator of these agendas were efforts to enhance Latvians’ national self-esteem. The social significance of kinship and descent was reclaimed again at the end of the 20th century. The national consciousness was boosted as the scope and potential of Latvians’ ethnic community was affirmed. Our century came with a wealth of sources on genealogy: from digitalized records to historians’ studies. As a variety of software, online fora, and the DNS databanks were on offer, ever more people embarked on genealogical exploration. Some charted kinship threes comprising thousands of relatives. Others followed ancestors' life-stories to discern patterns of family constellations and their impact on personal lives. . Interviews with school teachers and students; discourse analysis.. (1) An overview of discourses on kinship the Latvian periodicals. (2) Analysis of interview data on genealogical knowledge acquisition. . The family tree symbolizes individuals’ belonging to a self-perpetuating network, conceived as substrate for ethnic culture. Persons endeavoring to come to terms with their relationship patterns, in turn, tend to choose the pedigree view of descent, a centripetal structure focused on the ego rather than a node in thriving meshwork.

Period	29 Mar 2023
Event title	RSU Research week 2023: PLACES
Event type	Conference
Conference number	3
Organiser	Rīga Stradiņš University
Location	Rīga, LatviaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International