Book excerpt: The topic of this monograph is kinship and affinal relations among the Karo Batak. My reason for selecting this topic is my belief that an understanding of the Karo system of social relations between kin and relatives by marriage is the necessary starting point for an understanding of most other aspects of Karo culture and society. Moreover, the Karo kinship system is similar to the kinship systems of numerous other peoples—including other Batak—which have become the focus of considerable anthropological interest and much theoretical debate.—From the Preface This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1975.