Kinship, exchange and network play a crucial role in our lives. Kinship refers to the sharing of human relationships between family members and a study of the patterns of social relationships amongst those members of the family. Social network is the network of social interactions and connections and personal relationships. Exchange is the act of giving something and receiving something else in return.

Some of the networks I move through everyday includes the relationships I made with my friends, classmates, lecturers and continue make with some of my acquaintances and individuals I meet during my subcommittee events. How I go about doing that is by us sharing and exchanging knowledge and information, providing advice and contacts. What I exchange through these networks differ as every relationship has something different to offer although they all have something in common. Networking helps to build relationships, both professional and social ones, opens doors to new opportunities and also helps to with personal growth. For example my lecturers provide me with knowledge and information regarding their respective modules and in exchange I have to use that knowledge to do well in their modules, which is a win-win situation because I can get good results and they get their salaries. My friends and I exchange social, emotional psychological support by being there for each other having fun together.

Kinship provides a safety net in places where there is no social security by government or anyone or anything outside of your family. “ Kinship is the primary means through which individuals generate social support” ( Ross, 1996: 59-60). The reading by du Toit and Neves emphasizes the central role of extended network of reciprocal exchange within the informal social protection system. During the class discussion , our lecturer mentioned the three modes of exchange and reciprocity. I realized that for example, when my friends and family buy me gifts for my birthday or gifts in general, or when my mom and grandmother used to change my diapers, feed me, walk me to the taxi in the morning, they were practicing generalized reciprocity. This is giving without expecting anything in return. Balanced reciprocity, on the other hand takes place among people who know each other. In other words, complete strangers would be unlikely to engage in balanced reciprocity because they would not be able to trust the person to reciprocate within an acceptable period of time. Lastly negative reciprocity, an attempt to get something for nothing; exchange in which both parties try to take advantage of the other. For instance, when I get to the street vendors and bargain for a lower price but the vendor wants to charge me more for packet of snacks.

We learned about networks of kinship and exchange, in South African context. After going through the prescribed reading /literature, Domestic fluidity in Die Bos, Social Dynamics (Ross, 1996: 55-71) and the working paper by du Toit and Neves( 2009), Informal Social Protection in Post – Apartheid Migrant Networks :Vulnerability, Social Networks and Reciprocal Exchange in the Eastern and Western Cape, South Africa and the class discussion, it has motivated me to reflect on the networks I move through on a daily basis, how and what I exchange through these networks. I had to evaluate and introspect who forms part of my networks and how I’m related to those people and mostly, what exchanges occur.