Affinal Kinship, Marriage Patterns, Family Types, and Social Issues

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on kinship systems, marriage patterns, family structures, and associated political and social issues.

Kinship

A system of social relationships based on blood, marriage, or other recognized connections that forms the foundation of family and community structures across all human societies.

Consanguineal Kinship

Relationships formed through biological descent, including parents, siblings, and relatives by birth.

Affinal Kinship

Relationships formed through marriage ties rather than blood, such as spouses, in-laws, siblings-in-law, and parents-in-law.

Endogamy

The practice of marrying within a specific social group, community, caste, or tribe to reinforce group identity, preserve cultural traditions, and retain wealth within the group.

Exogamy

The practice of marrying outside one's social group or community to promote alliances, increase genetic diversity, and strengthen social cohesion.

Monogamy

A marriage form involving one spouse at a time; it is the most common form globally and legally recognized in most modern societies.

Polygyny

A form of marriage in which one husband has multiple wives, practiced in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.

Polyandry

A rare form of marriage in which one wife has multiple husbands, found among Tibetan and some South Asian communities.

Divorce

The legal termination of a valid marriage, which dissolves all marital rights and obligations between spouses.

Annulment

A legal declaration that a marriage was never valid, treating the union as though it never legally existed.

Legal Separation

The legal recognition of a couple living apart while remaining legally married, with rights and duties formally defined.

Fictive Kinship

Social relationships that resemble kinship but are not based on blood or marriage ties, such as bonds with godparents or close family friends.

Nuclear Family

A family unit consisting of two parents and their biological or adopted children living together in one household.

Extended Family

A family structure that includes multiple generations or relatives living together or in close proximity beyond the nuclear unit, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Single-Parent Family

A family structure in which one parent raises children, often arising from divorce, separation, widowhood, or choice.

Childless Family

A family unit consisting of a couple living without children, by choice or circumstance.

Blended Family

A family structure formed through remarriage, combining step-parents, step-children, and children from previous relationships.

Family Household

A residential unit consisting of individuals who share a common dwelling, whether related by kinship (blood or marriage) or non-kinship members like housemates or domestic workers.

Nepotism

A practice that arises in political and social dynamics when leaders appoint relatives to key positions, prioritizing kin over merit.