Kinship and Descent Unit 4 A What is

Kinship and Descent Unit 4 A

What is Kinship? • Kinship – relationships based on blood or marriage • Every society defines the nature of kinship interaction by determining – which kin are more socially important than others, – terms to classify kin types, – expected forms of behavior between them • Fictive kinship – people who are not related by blood or marriage • Consanguineal kin – kinship based on bloodline • Affinal kin – kinship based on marriage

Cultural Rules Regarding Kinship • All kinship systems are founded on biological connections – Each society classifies its kin according to a set of cultural rules that may or may not account for biological factors – The ways in which societies sort and categorize kinship relationships is as much a matter of culture as it is a matter of biology

Functions of Kinship Systems • Vertical function – provides social continuity by binding together a number of successive generations • Horizontal function – tend to solidify or tie together a society across a single generation through the process of marriage

Descent Groups • Kinship systems encompass all the blood and marriage relationships that – Distinguish among different categories of kin – Create rights and obligations among kin – Serve as the basis for the formation of certain types of kin groups • The rules a culture uses to establish affiliations with one’s parents and ancestors • Often provide the basis for the formation of social groups

Descent Groups cont’d • In societies with descent groups (unilineal or cognatic), members: – Have a strong sense of identity – Often share communally held property – Provide economic assistance to one another – Engage in mutual civic and religious ceremonies – Serve as a social and political mechanism for • • Inheriting property and political office Controlling behavior Regulating marriages Structuring primary political units

Unilineal Descent Groups • Approximately 60% of all kinship systems • Trace descent through either mother’s or father’s line, but not both • Mother’s line = matrilineal descent • Father’s line = patrilineal descent

Patrilineal Descent • Found on all continents and a wide range of societies • Most common unilineal descent system • Females marry outside the patrilineage and their children belong to the father’s descent line • Example = traditional Chinese culture (patrilineal, patrilocal, obligations to elders)

Matrilineal Descent • Matrilineal descent group comprised of a woman, her siblings, her own children, her sisters’ children, and her daughters’ children • Make up about 15% of unilineal descent groups in contemporary societies • Different from matriarchy (mythological) • Men retain power and authority but inherit it through the women • Example = Zuni of New Mexico

Types of Unilineal Descent • Four major types in increasing levels of inclusiveness: lineages, clans, phratries, moieties

Unilineal Descent: Lineages • Unilineal descent groups of up to approximately 10 generations in depth • Members can trace their ancestry back (step by step) to a common founder (matrilineages or patrilineages) • Can undergo segmentation – subdivision into smaller units depending on social situation

Unilineal Descent: Clans • A group of kin usually comprising 10 or more generations whose members believe they are all related to a common ancestor but are unable to trace their connections • When clans and lineages are found together, the clan is usually made up of a number of different lineages • Tend to be larger and more loosely structured categories with which people identify • Often associated with animals or plants (totems) that provide a focal point for group identity

Unilineal Descent: Phratries • Unilineal descent groups composed of two or more clans • Actual connections between the two clans usually are not recognized • Generally rare and do not serve important social functions

Unilineal Descent: Moieties • Societies that are divided into two unilineal descent groups • Excellent example of social reciprocity • Can play important roles in society but are not a part of the political structure as are lineages or clans

Corporate Nature of Unilineal Descent Groups • Clearly define who is a member and who is not • Endure over time • Shape a person’s identity • Regulate marriage • Regulate property, rather than individual control • Strong corporate focus in social control

Cognatic (nonunilineal) Descent Groups • Approximately 40% of world’s population • 3 basic types: – double descent, – ambilineal descent, – bilateral descent

Cognatic: Double Descent • Kinship is traced both matrilineally and patrilineally • Only about 5% of world’s cultures • Patrilineal groups and matrilineal groups are active in different spheres of the culture

Cognatic: Ambilineal Descent • Parents have a choice of affiliating their children with either kinship group • More flexible system – allows for individual choice concerning group affiliation • The greater the flexibility of choice concerning membership, the weaker thr group’s loyalties, cohesiveness, and impact on the lives of its members

Cognatic: Bilateral Descent • Person related equally to mother’s and father’s side of the family • Practiced in U. S. • Creates links from both sides of the family but usually include only close kin from a small number of generations • Kindred – closely related relatives connected through both parents to one living relative (or to EGO) • No two relatives (except siblings) have the same kindred • Loosely structured network of relatives works well in a society that highly values personal independence and geographic mobility