Kinship Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to kinship studies.

Kinship

Diversity in terms (categories of kin) and underlying logic of kinship ties.

Enduring Diffuse Solidarity

Refers to the persistent bonds and mutual support within kinship relationships.

Kin Terms

The specific words used to refer to different categories of relatives in a kinship system.

Biological Kin Types

The actual genealogical relationships between individuals (e.g., mother, father, son).

Nuclear Family

A family unit consisting of a couple and their dependent children.

Extended Family

A family unit consisting of multiple generations living together or nearby.

Industrialism and Family Organization

Explores how industrialization affects family structures, including age of marriage, household size, and composition.

Bilateral Descent

A kinship system where individuals trace their descent through both their mother's and father's sides of the family.

Unilineal Descent

A kinship system where individuals trace their descent through only one side of the family (either the mother's or the father's).

Patrilineal Descent

A kinship system where individuals trace their descent through the father's side of the family.

Matrilineal Descent

A kinship system where individuals trace their descent through the mother's side of the family.

Kindred

An individual's close circle of relatives, particularly in bilateral descent systems.

Lineage

A unilineal descent group that can demonstrate their descent from a common ancestor.

Patrilineage

A lineage that traces descent through the male line.

Matrilineage

A lineage that traces descent through the female line.

Clan

A unilineal descent group that claims descent from a common ancestor but cannot demonstrate the exact genealogical links.

Patriclan

A clan that traces descent through the male line.

Matriclan

A clan that traces descent through the female line.

Corporate Groups

Groups that hold property or resources collectively.

Genitor

The biological father of a child.

Pater

The socially recognized father of a child.

Functions of Marriage

Roles and responsibilities establishes rights and obligations related to descent offspring and alliance between families.

Affines (affinal relatives)

Relatives by marriage (e.g., in-laws).

Incest Taboo

A cultural prohibition against sexual relations between certain relatives.

Monogamy

A marriage system where an individual has only one spouse at a time.

Polygamy

A marriage system where an individual has more than one spouse at a time.

Polygyny

A marriage system where a man has more than one wife at a time.

Polyandry

A marriage system where a woman has more than one husband at a time.

Exogamy

The practice of marrying outside a defined group.

Endogamy

The practice of marrying within a defined group.

Post-Marital Residence

Where a couple lives after they get married.

Matrilocal Residence

A residence pattern where a couple lives with or near the wife's family.

Patrilocal Residence

A residence pattern where a couple lives with or near the husband's family.

Neolocal Residence

A residence pattern where a couple establishes a new residence independent of both their families.

Bridewealth

Goods or money given by the groom's family to the bride's family in exchange for the marriage.

Dowry

Goods or money given by the bride's family to the bride or the groom's family at the time of marriage.

Bride Service

Service performed by the groom for the bride's family for a specified period.

Marriage Exchanges

The reciprocal exchange of gifts, goods, or services between the families of the bride and groom.

Parallel Cousins

Children of one's mother's sister or father's brother.

Cross Cousins

Children of one's mother's brother or father's sister.

Ascending Generation

Refers to the generations above Ego (parents, grandparents, etc.).

Descending Generation

Refers to the generations below Ego (children, grandchildren, etc.).