1 Families Kinship and Descent Families Descent Kinship

1 Families, Kinship, and Descent • • Families Descent Kinship Calculation Kinship Terminology © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

2 Families • Understanding kinship system is essential part of anthropology • Nuclear family – consists of a married couple and their children, normally living together in same household • Extended family – consists of three or more generations © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

3 Families • Descent groups – lineages and clans – Family of orientation – family in which one is born and grows up – Family of procreation – formed when one marries and has children • In most societies, relations with nuclear family members take precedence over relations with other kin • Nuclear family widespread, but not universal © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

4 Families • Where nuclear family is important, it is primary arena for sexual, reproductive, economic, and enculturative functions • In many societies, extended families are primary unit of social organization – Muslims of western Bosnia – nuclear families within large extended families called zadrugas – Nayars – matrilineal society in which extended families live in compounds called tarawads © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

5 Location of the Nayars in India’s Kerala Province © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

6 Industrialism and Family Organization • Most prevalent residence pattern in U. S. is family of procreation living neolocally. – Neolocality – married couples may live hundreds of miles from parents © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

7 Changes in North American Kinship • Nuclear families accounted for 23% of American households in 2003 -2004 – Increasing representation of women in the work force associated with rise in marriage from 21 years in 1970 to 25 in 2003 – Between 1970 and 2003 the number of divorced Americans rose from 4. 3 million to 22 million – Number of single-parent families outstripped population growth, from fewer than 4 million in 1970 to 16 million in 2003 © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

8 Changes in North American Kinship • About 57% American women and 60% percent American men currently married in 2004 • Growing isolation from kin may well be unprecedented in human history • Major contrast with Brazilians, who much prefer to live in social world with relatives (less mobile society) © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

9 Changes in Family and Household Organization in the United States: 1970 versus 2004 Sources: From U. S. Census data in J. M. Fields, “America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2003, ” Current Population Reports, P 20 -553, November 2004, http: //www. census. gov/prod/2004 pubs/p 20553. pdf, p. 4; J. M. Fields and L. M. Casper, “America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2000, ” Current Population Reports, P 20 -557. pdf; U. S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2006, Tables 55, 56, and 65. http: //www. census. gov/prod/www/statistical_abstract. html. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

10 Households by Type: Selected Years, 1970 to 2003 (percent distribution) Sources: U. S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March and Annual Social and Economic Supplements: 1997 to 2003; J. M. Fields, “America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2003, ” Current Population Reports, P 20 -553, November 2004. http: //www. census. gove/prod/2004 pubs /p 20 -553. pdf, p. 4. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

11 Ratio of Divorces to Marriages per 1, 000 U. S. Population, Selected Years, 1950 -2003 Source: U. S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 2006, Tables 71, p. 64. http: //www. census. gov/prod/www/statistical_abstract. html © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

12 Ratio of Divorces to Marriages per 1, 000 U. S. Population, Selected Years, 1950 -2003 Source: J. M. Fields, “American Families and Living Arrangements: 2003, ” Current Population Reports, P 20 -553, November 2004. http: //www. census. gov/prod/2004 pubs/p 20 -553. pdf, pp. 3 -4. U. S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2004 -5; Statistics Canada, 2001 Census. http: //www. statcan. co/english/Pgdb/famil 53 a. htm, http: //www. statcan. co/english/Pgdb/famil 40 a. htm. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

13 The Family among Foragers • The two basic units of social organization among foragers are the nuclear family and the band • Typically, band exists only seasonally, breaking up into nuclear families when subsistence means require (seasons of meager resources) © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

14 Descent Groups • Matrilineal descent – individuals automatically join mother’s descent group when they are born • Patrilineal descent – individuals automatically join father’s descent group when they are born • Unilineal descent – descent rule only uses one line © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

15 Descent Groups • Lineage – descent group who can demonstrate their common descent from apical ancestor (e. g. , Adam) (demonstrated descent; memorized, but not necessarily accurate, genealogies) • Clan – descent group who claims common descent from an apical ancestor but cannot demonstrate it (stipulated descent, ) © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

16 A Matrilineage Five Generations Deep Matrilineages are based on demonstrated descent from a female ancestor. Only the children of the group’s women (blue) belong to the matrilineage. The children of the group’s men are excluded; they belong to their mother’s matrilineage. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

17 A Patrilineage Five Generations Deep Lineages are based on demonstrated descent from a common ancestor. With patrileneal descent, children of the group’s men (blue) are included as descent-group members. Children of the group’s female members are excluded; they belong to their father’s patrilineage. Also notice lineage exogamy. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

18 Lineages, Clans, and Residence Rules • In tribal societies, descent group, not nuclear family, is fundamental unit • In many societies, descent groups are corporate, sharing resources and property © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

19 Unilineal Descent Rules • Patrilocality – married couple lives with husband’s family; associated with patrilineal descent and more common than matrilocality • Matrilocality – married couple lives with wife’s family; associated with matrilineal descent and less common than patrilocality © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

20 Ambilineal Descent Rules • People can choose the descent group they want to belong to – Membership is fluid – Membership achieved • Membership ascribed in unilineal descent © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

21 Family versus Descent • Many societies have both families and descent groups – Obligations to one may conflict with obligations to the other – More conflicts for men in matrilineal societies (descent continuity through own matriliny versus obligations to own wife/child – Compared to patrilineal systems, matrilineal societies tend to have higher divorce rates and greater female promiscuity © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

22 Kinship Calculation • System by which people in a society reckon kin relationships (kinship is culturally constructed) – Kin terms – labels given in particular culture to different kinds of relatives (e. g. , uncle) – Biological kin type – degree of actual genealogical relatedness (kinship notation, e. g. , FB, MB) – Bilateral kinship – people tend to perceive kin links through males and females as being similar or equal © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

23 Lineal Terminology • Native taxonomy developed over generations by the people who live in particular society – Our own system of kinship classification called lineal kinship terminology – Lineal relative – ancestor or descendant – Collateral relatives – all other kin – Affinals – relatives by marriage © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

24 Bifurcate Merging Terminology • Splits mother’s side from father’s side, but also merges same-sex siblings of each parent – Associated with unilineal descent and unilocal residence © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

25 Generational Terminology • Uses same term for parents and their siblings, but lumping is more complete – Typical of ambilineal societies © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

26 Bifurcate collateral terminology • Separate terms used for each of the six kin types of the parental generation – Common to North Africa and the Middle East – Most particular system © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

27 Kinship Symbols and Genealogical Kin Type Notation © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

28 Lineal Kinship Terminology © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

29 The Distinctions among Lineals, Collaterals, and Affinals as Perceived by Ego © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

30 Bifurcate Merging Kinship Terminology © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

31 Generational Kinship Terminology © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

32 Bifurcate Collateral Kinship Terminology © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

33 The Four Systems of Kinship Terminology, with Social and Economic Correlates © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.