A brief concept of kinship

Humans are social animals because their social nature compels them to develop some kind of

relationship with other people. They are always surrounded by different types of people and

are always with their fellow animals. They share their social space with friends, family,

neighbors, and complete strangers. Men are related to some of these people through marriage

or blood links. Kinship refers to the ties of consanguineous blood or marriage that unite people

into a community and enable them to coexist in harmonious relationships.

First, the two primary categories of kinship are consanguineous kinship and affinal kinship.

Consanguineous relatives are those related to each other by blood. It is also based on blood

connection. Examples of consanguineous kinship are through relationships with a son,

daughter, sister, etc. Affinal kinship refers to kinship ties created by marriage. And the kinsmen

connected with this kinship are known as affinal kin; Examples include son-in-law, father-in-law,

mother-in-law, sister-in-law, etc.

Next, kins can be divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary categories based on how close or

distant they are to each other. Primary kins are relatives who are closely and directly related to

each other. Husband-wife, father-son, mother-son, father-daughter, mother-daughter, sister-

brother, younger brother-elder brother, and younger sister-elder sister are the eight main
kinship types commonly recognized. We define secondary kins in terms of our primary relatives.

We refer to the primary kins of our primary kins as secondary kins. Our second cousins are our

father's brother, sister's husband, and brother's wife. Tertiary kins are the descendants of our

primary kins. Examples of third kins are the sister-in-law's wife and the sister's husband's

brother.

Apart from those mentioned above, there are two other types of kin. Both Collateral kin and

lineal kin. A lineal kinship is a connection to someone who is directly descended from another

person, such as a father, father's father, son, son's son, etc. The term "collateral kinship" refers

to those who are indirectly connected through intermediaries. Another kinship, such as the

mother's sister or father's brother.

Let's now examine Moiyen’s connections to his aunt and brother-in-law. His relationship with

his brother-in-law is initially affinal, secondarily related, and collateral. This connection can be

referred to as affinal kinship because his sister was married to establish it. This relationship can

be categorized as secondary because Moiyen’s sister is his major kin and his brother-in-law is

linked to his sister. Collateral kinship refers to those who are linked indirectly through the

intermediary of another relative, such as Moiyen’s brother-in-law. After that, Moiyen and his

aunt became second-degree consanguineous because she receives half of his mother's wealth.

Moiyen and his aunt share collateral kinship because his aunt and he are related indirectly

through his mother. Let’s look at the following diagram and try to understand more.
The Eskimo, Hawaiian, Sudanese, Omaha, Crow, and Iroquois systems are the six basic kinship

naming patterns or systems employed by most cultures around the world. Eskimo kinship

structure observed in Bangladesh. Eskimo kinship or Inuit kinship is a kinship concept that

anthropologists use to define family structure. Now, when one thinks of a family, the

relationship between individuals to each other immediately comes to mind. Family, though, is

more than that. According to Dr. Seuti Sabur, a family is the smallest unit of a close group that

includes blood, marriage, adoption, and other forms of mutual relationships.

The family is the cornerstone of people's support systems and the center of social life in

Bangladesh. The most typical family structure in this region is the "Barhi." It consists of a

husband and wife and their unmarried children. When the unmarried children—usually sons—
are old enough to get married, they continue to live with their parents, constituting a kind of

extended family. The barhi gives people a sense of social identity and financial security. The

barhi is patriarchal and patrilineal at the same time. Women are now in charge of the home

because it has been established that they handle most household chores. On the other hand,

men continue to hold the majority of positions of authority and have easy access to more fields

of study and employment. As women become increasingly involved outside the home and take

on roles that males once dominated, these events have changed in recent years. Contrarily,

weddings are planned events that typically occur when parents decide that their child should

get married. The goal of most parents is to place their child with someone of similar or equal

socioeconomic level, educational attainment, and religious convictions. This is altering as more

Bangladeshis get the freedom to choose whom they marry. As a result, people typically act in

the community's best interests rather than their own, and a common attitude regarding familial

ties is one of commonality.

Last but not least, one such occasion, during the holy days of Eid-ul-Adha, also known as

"Qurbaani Eid," demonstrates this familiar affinity. Living with a relative who observes these

holidays can give you a unique perspective on how the family runs. When it comes to their

separate housework during "Eid ul-Adha," men and women play quite different roles. Thus, a

kinship is developing in this place, which Marshal Shalini extensively describes as consisting of

members who are dependent on one another's life and who are a part of one another.

According to a custom, the men would visit these markets to haggle over the cows they

desired. The more precarious tasks on Eid day are given to women. The men would conduct the

sacrificial art of slaughtering the cow and cutting the meat in the past, while the women would
spend the entire day cooking and preparing the house for the arrival of relatives. The extended

family nature of this Eid may be observed when relatives visit and share their close bonds with

one another.