description Kathleen Gough Overview
Kathleen Gough was a British anthropologist recognized for her extensive research on kinship and social structures in South India. She conducted notable fieldwork in the Malabar region from 1947 to 1949, focusing on the Nayar caste and matrilineal systems. As a Marxist, she often integrated political economy into her anthropological analyses and was an outspoken activist against the Vietnam War.
help Kathleen Gough FAQ
Where did Kathleen Gough conduct her best-known fieldwork?
Gough conducted fieldwork in Malabar, Kerala, from 1947 to 1949. Her main focus was the Nayar caste and its kinship system.
What was distinctive about Kathleen Gough's Nayar research?
She examined matrilineal descent, marriage, and ideas of paternity among the Nayar. Her 1959 paper The Nayars and the Definition of Marriage used that case to challenge a universal definition of marriage.
How did Marxism shape Kathleen Gough's anthropology?
Gough's Marxist writing connected kinship and caste with material, political, and economic relations. She also wrote about imperialism, class, and resistance in anthropology.
Which Kathleen Gough books or chapters should I look for?
Her work appears in Matrilineal Kinship, edited with David M. Schneider in 1961, including the chapter Nayar: Central Kerala. She also wrote Rural Society in Southeast India, published by Cambridge University Press in 1981.
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