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RELEVANCE OF KINSHIP AND DESCENT:Kinship Criteria, Rules of Descent

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KINSHIP AND DESCENT (continued):Tracing Descent, Primary Kinship Systems >>
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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Lesson 14
RELEVANCE OF KINSHIP AND DESCENT
Kinship Defined
Kinship is the single most importantsocial structure in allsocieties. Kinship is based on both consanguineal
(blood)and affinal (marriage) relations or even fictive ties (adoption,godparents).
Functions of Kinship
VerticalFunction: Kinshipsystems provide socialcontinuity by binding together a number of generations
HorizontalFunction: Kinshipsprovide social solidarityand continuity within the same generation as well.
Cultural Rules Regarding Kinship
Kinshipsystems group relatives intocertain categories and call them by the same name andbehave with
them in a similar manner. Yet how particular cultures categorize relativesvaries according to different
principles of classification.
Kinship Criteria
Differentsocieties use differentrules in formulating kinshipties. Some of theseare:
Generation- uncles are in onegeneration, cousins in another
Gender- cousins do not occupy gender determined kin categories
Lineality­ kin of a single line, i.e.son, father, grandfather
Consanguineality ­ kin through a linking relative (wife's brother)
RelativeAge ­ one kinship term forfather's older brother another for his younger brother(e.g.
tayaand chacha)
Gender of Connecting Relative ­ using different kinshipterms for the father's brother's daughter
hissister's daughter
Social Conditions ­ differentkinship terms for a married or an unmarried bother
Side of the Family ­ different kinship terms forfather's and mother's sides of the family (e.g.
phuphoand khala)
Rules of Descent
Rules of descent enable the affiliation of people with different sets of kin, for example:
Patrilineal descent affiliates a person with the kin of the father
Matrilinealdescent affiliates a person with the kin of the mother
Ambilinealdescent permits an individual to affiliate with either parent's kin group
Consanguinealversus AffinalKin
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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Somesocieties make a distinction in kinship categories based on whether people are related by blood
(consanguinealkin) or through marriage (affinalkin). Forexample, take the difference between a sister and a
sister-in-law or a brother and a brother-in-law.
ComparingDescent Groups
Patrilineal descent groups are most common around the world. The relations between man and wife tend to
be more fragile in matrilineal societies.
UsefulTerms
Unilinealdescent: tracingdescent through a singleline (such as matrilineal or patrilineal) as compared to
bothsides (bilateral decent|)
Bilateral: able to accommodate two-sidessimultaneously
Matrineally:mother's side of the family
Patrineally: father'sside of the family
Prevalent:commonamongst many
Kinship:relationship
Merging:integration
SuggestedReadings
Studentsare advised to read the following chapters to develop a better understanding of the various
principals highlighted in this hand-out:
Chapter 10 in `CulturalAnthropology: An Applied Perspective' by Ferrarro and/or Chapter 21 in `Anthropology' by
Emberand Pergrine
Internet Resources
In addition to reading from the textbook, please visit the following web-pages for this lecture, which
provideuseful and interesting information:
Kinship Terms
www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/kinship/terms.html
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Table of Contents:
  1. WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY?:Cultural Anthropology, Internet Resources
  2. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE AND THE APPLICATION OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
  3. MAJOR THEORIES IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Diffusionism
  4. GROWTH OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY (continued):Post Modernism
  5. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Comments on Fieldwork
  6. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):Census Taking
  7. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD
  8. ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):THE DISTRIBUTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES
  9. FOCUSING ON LANGUAGE:Languages of the World, Structure of Language
  10. FOCUS ON LANGUAGE (continued):Levels of Complexity, Cultural Emphasis
  11. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURES:Optimal Foraging, Suggested Readings
  12. FOOD AND CULTURE (continued):Food Collectors, Food Production
  13. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURE (continued):Pastoralism, Agriculture
  14. RELEVANCE OF KINSHIP AND DESCENT:Kinship Criteria, Rules of Descent
  15. KINSHIP AND DESCENT (continued):Tracing Descent, Primary Kinship Systems
  16. THE ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE:Economic Aspect of Marriage
  17. ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE (continued):Family Structures
  18. GENDER AND CULTURE:Gender Stratification, Suggested Readings
  19. GENDER ROLES IN CULTURE (continued):Women Employment, Feminization of Poverty
  20. STRATIFICATION AND CULTURE:Social Ranking, Dimensions of Inequality
  21. THEORIES OF STRATIFICATION (continued):The Functionalists, Conflict Theorists
  22. CULTURE AND CHANGE:Inventions, Diffusion, Donor, Conventional
  23. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Cultural Interrelations, Reaction to Change
  24. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Planned Change, Globalization
  25. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION:Bands, Tribal Organizations, Chiefdoms
  26. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):State Systems, Nation-States
  27. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):Social Norms, Informal Mechanisms
  28. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE:Emotional Development, Psychological Universals
  29. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE (continued):Origin of Customs, Personality Types
  30. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE:Ideology in Everyday Life, Hegemony
  31. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE (Continued):Political ideologies, Economic Ideology
  32. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES:Variation in Associations, Age Sets
  33. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES (continued):Formation of Associations
  34. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE:Similarity in Human Adaptations
  35. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE (continued):Inter-group Relations
  36. CULTURE AND BELIEFS:Social Function of Religion, Politics and Beliefs
  37. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE:Changing Definitions of Local Knowledge
  38. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE (continued):The Need for Caution
  39. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT:Influence of Development Notions
  40. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Contentions in Development
  41. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Operational
  42. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART:Relevance of Art, Art and Politics
  43. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART (continued):Art as a Status Symbol
  44. ETHICS IN ANTHROPOLOGY:Ethical Condemnation, Orientalism
  45. RELEVANCE OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Ensuring Cultural Survival