Introduction In this paper I will describe the kinship system of the San (Bushmen) and how it supports them in all stages of their lives. First I will identify and describe the kinship system. Then I will describe the culture and identify three specific examples of how the kinship system impacts the way the culture behaves. Following each of these examples I will discuss how this aspect of the kinship system compares with American society and also how it may impact behaviors in my life. Finally I will summarize the paper with what I have discussed and learned. Kinship System The San’s were one of the best-known hunting and gathering communities in the modern world and they were located in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa. This culture has a bilateral kinship system. “In bilateral descent, the kinship connections through both the mother and the father are equally important” (Nowak, B., & Laird, P. 2010). Reckoning kinship bilaterally is something that the San culture uses as a benefit in case food, water, or shelter gets scarce. The San can find kin in almost any band that they go to. If one band runs out of water or anything and they need to go to another band’s territory then they can because they will find kin. The kinship system also prohibits the San from marrying second cousins or closer . San Culture The San culture is expected to be over one hundred years old. San’s are known for surviving off of nothing but gathering things and also hunting. They live in