Cultural, Social and

Political Institutions
KINSHIP, MARRIAGE and THE
HOUSEHOLD
• In Anthropology, Kinship is the web of social
relationship that form an important part of the lives
of most humans in most societies, although its
exact meanings, even within this discipline area
often debated. Kinship can refer both to the
patterns of social relationships themselves, or it
can refer to the study of the patterns of social
relationships in one or more human cultures.
Kinship can be by blood, marriage, and ritual.
Types of Kinship
• Affinal Kinship
Relationship based upon marriage or
cohabitation between collaterals (people
treated as the same generations).
• Consaguineous Kinship
Connection between people that are traced by
blood.
Kinship by Blood
 Descent Systems
• Kinship is reckoned in a number of different ways around the
world resulting in a variety of types of descent patterns and
kin groups. Anthropologist frequently used diagram to
illustrate kinship relationships to make them more
understandable
• In kinship diagram,one individual is usually labeled as
ego. This is a person to whom all kinship relationships
are reffered. In the case below on the right, ego has a
brother (Br) sister (Si), father (Fa) and mother (Mo)
Unilineal Descent
• The traces descent only through a single line
of ancestors male or female. Both males and
females are members of a unilineal
family,but descent links are only recognized
through relatives of one gender. The two
basic form of unilineal descent are referred
to us Patrillineal and matrillineal.
 Patrilineal Descent
• Both males and females belong to their father's kin group
but not their mother. However, only male pass on their
family identity to their children. A womans children are
members of her husband patrillineal line. The red people
in the diagram are related to each other patrilineally.
 Matrilineal Descent
• The form of unilineal descent that follows a female line.
When using this pattern,individuals are relative if they can
trace descent through females to the same female ancestor.
While both male and female childrens are member of their
mothers matrilineal descent group only daughter can pass
to their family line on their offspring. The green people
below are related to each other matrilineally.
Bilineal Descent
• When both Patrilienal and Matrilineal Descent
principles are combined.
Kinship by Marriage
Marriage
• Is an institution that admits men and women to
family life. Edward Westermarck defined marriage
as the more or less dorable connection between
male and female lasting beyond the mere act of
propagation till after the birth of offspring.
Monogamy
• Is a practice of having only one spouse at
one time. In some cases, monogamy means
having only one spouse for an entire life
span. Out of the different types of marriages,
monogamy is the one that is legal in the
United States and in most industrial nations.
Polygamy
Is a Greek word meaning "The practice of multiple
marriage". It is a married pattern in wich an
individual is married to more than one person at a
time.
Ex: Tiwi(North Austrilia)
 Two different types of Polygamy

Poligyny – is a practice of one man having more than one

wife or sexual partner at a time.
Ex: Mormonism
Polyandry – involves one woman having multriple husband.
Within polyandry, their are many variations on the marriage
style.
Flaternal polyandry(Ex: Tibet and Nepal)
Secondary Marriage(Ex: Northern Nigeria and Northern
Cameroon)
Residence Patterns
Four major Residence Patterns
Neological Residence – is most common with North
American couples. This is were the couples find their
own house independent from all family members.
Patrilocal Residence – is the most commonly used
with herding and farming societies.Its were the
married couples live with the husbands father family.
• Matrilocal Residence – is most familiar among
horticultural groups. Its where the couple moves to live
where the wife grow up. Usually found in Matrilineal
kinship system.
• Avunculocal Residence – is also related in
matrilineal societies however in this case the couples
needs to live with the husbands mother's brother. They
live with the most significant man his uncle, because its
who they later inherit everything from.
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