1. Kinship and Descent

2. Kinship and descent are Cultural Universals.
Genealogical Space
– Space that contains all human beings.

3. Genealogical Space Descent Males Generation Females Marriage affinal
consanguineal
Males
Females
Generation
consanguineal
Marriage
affinal

4. The investigation of kinship terminology begins with a distinction between kin types and kin terms.
Kin types refer to the basic uncategorized relationships that anthropologist 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.

5. Kin Types Primary components and letter symbols Mother [M] Father [F]
Sister [Z]
Brother [B]
Daughter [D]
Son [S]
Husband [H]
Wife [W]

8. Rules of Descent Bilineal (Bilateral) Unilineal Matrilineal
Patrilineal

9. Bilineal
Eskimo Kinship
Similar to “American” system

10. Matrilineal

11. Patrilineal

12. Comparison of Patrilineal with Matrilineal Descent
Patrilineal Matrilineal
Strong marriage
Brittle marriage
Patrilocal residence
Matrilocal residence
Strict sex rules
Lax sex rules
No marriage rule
X-cousin marriage
Prescribed
Proscribed

13. 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

14. Endogamy - Marriage within group Exogamy - Marriage outside group
Forms of Marriage
Rules of Marriage
Monogamy
Endogamy - Marriage within group
One spouse
Polygamy
Exogamy - Marriage outside group
Multiple spouses
Polygyny
Multiple wives
Polyandry
Multiple husbands

15. Family relatives Four functions of families Extended families
Nuclear families
Four functions of families
Nurturance
Sex control
Economic foundation
Enculturation