WHAT MAKES A FAMILY

What makes a family? On the one hand, tangible aspects such as a shared household, eating practices, and marriage alliances come to mind. On the other hand, that ineffable dominium of feelings of attachment that is difficult to articulate also must have its role. I define the former a ‘substantial’ dimension, and the latter an ‘ontological’ dimension of kinship. Substantial and ontological dimensions are often profoundly intertwined in familial groups in most societies, yet in differing ways. The present essay visualizes the intersubjective processes through which middle-class people conceive of the family in Nepal, through the negotiation of domestic spaces and practices.