Which early anthropologist focused on the concepts of decent and kinship based on structuralism?

The correct answer focuses on Claude Lévi-Strauss, who is renowned for his structuralist approach in anthropology. Structuralism is a theoretical paradigm that emphasizes understanding human culture through the underlying structures that shape social phenomena, particularly in terms of language, thought, and social organization. Lévi-Strauss's work in the mid-20th century notably examined the structures of kinship and descent, positing that these systems are not merely reflections of social reality but are deeply embedded in the ways humans think and categorize their relationships.

Lévi-Strauss argued that kinship systems serve as frameworks through which societies organize themselves, drawing parallels between relationships across cultures. His analysis highlighted how cultural practices, such as marriage and descent, are governed by underlying structures that are universally applicable, thus contributing significantly to our understanding of human sociocultural diversity. By focusing on the rules and conventions that govern kinship, Lévi-Strauss laid the groundwork for further studies on social organization and human relationships within the discipline of anthropology.

This emphasis on the structural aspects of kinship is what distinctly characterizes his contributions compared to the other anthropologists listed, who focused on different aspects of cultural or social phenomena.