▁to ▁be ▁regarded ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁anth rop ological ▁works ▁on ▁kin ship . ▁It ▁was ▁even ▁review ed ▁favor ably ▁by ▁Sim one ▁de ▁Beau voir , ▁who ▁viewed ▁it ▁as ▁an ▁important ▁statement ▁of ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁women ▁in ▁non - West ern ▁cult ures . ▁A ▁play ▁on ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁Dur k heim ' s ▁famous ▁Element ary ▁Form s ▁of ▁the ▁Relig ious ▁Life , ▁Element ary ▁Struct ures ▁re - ex am ined ▁how ▁people ▁organized ▁their ▁families ▁by ▁exam ining ▁the ▁logical ▁structures ▁that ▁under lay ▁relationships ▁rather ▁than ▁their ▁contents . ▁While ▁British ▁anth rop olog ists ▁such ▁as ▁Alfred ▁Regin ald ▁Rad cl iffe - B rown ▁argued ▁that ▁kin ship ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁descent ▁from ▁a ▁common ▁ancest or , ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁argued ▁that ▁kin ship ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁al liance ▁between ▁two ▁families ▁that ▁formed ▁when ▁women ▁from ▁one ▁group ▁married ▁men ▁from ▁another . ▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁continued ▁to ▁publish ▁and ▁experienced ▁considerable ▁professional ▁success . ▁On ▁his ▁return ▁to ▁France , ▁he ▁became ▁involved ▁with ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁the ▁C N RS ▁and ▁the ▁Musée ▁de ▁l ' Hom me ▁before ▁finally ▁becoming ▁professor ▁( direct eur ▁d ' ét udes ) ▁of ▁the ▁fifth ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁É cole ▁Pr atique ▁des ▁Haut es ▁Ét udes , ▁the