Solving the Problem of Cooperation Kinship and Descent
Genealogical Space Kindred The Last Judgment Hieronymus Bosch Genealogical Space Out of the vast number of human beings, represented by The Last Judgment by Hieronymus Bosch, only a few do we recognize as our relatives. This Module deals with how we study those systems that determine who our relatives are: Kinship Systems …that space that contains all human beings Kindred … everyone related to ego (an individual).
Descent Males Females Generation Marriage Genealogical Space is that space that contains all human beings. It’s conventional to fill this space with symbols that represent: Descent consanguineal Males Females Generation consanguineal Marriage affinal
Kinship and Descent These are Cultural Universals… relatives Concerning the matter of relatives: consanguineal -“blood” relatives affinal - relatives by marriage term of address - use when talking to someone term of reference – use when talking about someone These are Cultural Universals… relatives
Kinship and Descent The investigation of kinship terminology begins with a distinction between kin types and kin terms. Kin types refer to the basic uncategorized relationships that anthropologists use to describe the actual contents of kinship categories. They are supposedly culture free, etic components. Kin terms are the labels for categories of kin that include one or more kin types. They are emic structures and vary across cultures.
Kin Types Primary components and letter symbols Mother [M] Father [F] Sister [Z] Brother [B] Daughter [D] Son [S] Husband [H] Wife [W]
Typical Kinship Chart
Rules of Descent Matrilineal Unilineal Patrilineal Bilateral Parallel Cognatic “Double Descent” Ambilineal Bilineal
Bilineal descent Eskimo Kinship Similar to “American” system
Crow, Trobriand Islanders, Navajo Matrilineal descent Crow, Trobriand Islanders, Navajo
Patrilineal descent Omaha, Bakhtiari, Nuer, Traditional China
Rules of Residence Neolocal Matrilocal Patrilocal Ambilocal Associated with bilineal descent Matrilocal Associated with matrilineal descent Patrilocal Associated with patrilineal descent Ambilocal Associated with bilineal descent
Lineage - descent group w/common ancestor Fission - splitting of group Clan - same as lineage w/o known common ancestor (Mendi of New Guinea) Totemism - relation to common ancestral spirit Phratry - two or more clans w/common ancestor Moiety - half of a society divided by descent Kindred - consanguineal relatives of single individual