Kinship

 Relationship through blood (consanguinal) or marriage (affinal)  Kinship system – all relationships based on blood or marriage that link people in a web of rights and obligations

Kinship  Cultural construct  The way a society classifies kin may not reflect biological relationship  Father may be biological father= genitor or one who takes social responsibility for child’s upbringing = pater Toda of India

Kinship  Function of kinship ties: To raise children so they can be members of society Inheritance of property Succession of social position Support network

Kinship – Rules of Descent  Descent = affiliation between a child and one or both parents  Descent group = kin who are descendants of a common ancestor

Kinship – Rules of Descent  Lineage = kin who trace descent from a common ancestor  Related lineages may form clans Clans = kin who believe they share common ancestor but can’t trace a link  A groups of related clans = phratry

Kinship – Rules of Descent  Unilineal Patrilineal Matrilineal  Double descent  Nonunilineal Bilateral Ambilineal

Kinship – Rules of Descent  Unilineal = descent traced through one parent Patrilineal = descent traced through father Matrilineal = descent traced through mother  Double descent = combo w/ different puropses  Nonunilineal = both parents have equal claim Bilateral = equal affiliation with both parents Ambilineal = individual chooses to affiliate with descent group of one parent

Kinship – Principles of Classification  Ego = self, center of kinship structure  Relationships can be described relative to ego according to seven different principles

Kinship – Principles of Classification  Generation  Relative age  Lineality vs. colaterality  Gender  Consanguinal vs. affinal  Sex of linking relative (parallel/cross cousin)  Side of the family

Kinship Systems  Hawaiian  Eskimo  Iroquois  Omaha  Crow  Sudanese

Kinship Systems - Hawaiian  Found in Polynesia  Simple – fewest terms  Principle: Generation  Descent group: ambilineality

Kinship Systems - Eskimo  North American foragers  Separate names for nuclear family  Principle: Generation  Descent group: bilateral

Kinship Systems: Iroquois  Principles: side of family, gender, sex of linking relative, generation  Descent group: unilineal, matrilineal or double

Kinship Systems: Omaha  Principles: side of family, gender, sex of linking relative  Descent group: patrilineal, generations merged on mother’s side

Kinship Systems: Crow  Principles: side of family, gender, sex of linking relative  Descent group: matrilineal generations merged on father’s side

Kinship Systems: Sudanese  Different term for every relative  Principles: side of family, gender, sex of linking relative, generation  Descent group: patrilineal