Lesson 7: Kinship

Family. the basic unit of society

Kinship

refers to the “web of social

relationships” that humans form as

part of a family

Family

a social and economic unit that consists

of one or more parents and their children

(Ferraro and Andreatta (2010).

Characteristics of Family

1. A family should have at least one child.

2. A family can have one or more parents.

3. A family can have parents who are not married.

4. A family can have parents with same sex.

5. A family is a socioeconomic unit.

A family should have at least one child.

one of the most crucial elements of a

family is the existence of children.

A family can have one or more parents.

in the society that you grow up in, a

family usually consists of two parents―a

father and a mother.

A family can have parents who are not married.

although the marriage of parents is important in

religious countries such as the Philippines, it is

not a prerequisite in other societies.

A family can have parents with same sex.

although same sex marriage is illegal in most

countries including the Philippines, some

societies allow for the marriage of individuals with

the same sex.

A family is a socioeconomic unit.

what makes a group of individuals a

family is their dependency on one

another with regard to their social and

economic activities.

Classification of Family

According to Organization, Structure, and Membership

According to Place of Residence

According to Descent

According to Authority

Nuclear Family

it is composed of a husband/father, and his wife/mother, and their child/children in the union recognized by the society. Any individual belongs to two kinds of families: (1) family of orientation, and (2) family of procreation.

Family of orientation

Family by blood. refers to the family into which an individual is born or adopted. It typically includes one’s parents and siblings and plays a crucial role in early development. This type of family is responsible for providing care, socialization, and the foundational values that shape a person’s identity during childhood.

Family of procreation

Family building during adulthood. is the family that an individual forms through marriage or by having or adopting children. This family unit is centered around the individual's spouse and offspring. Its primary functions are reproduction, child-rearing, and continuing the family lineage. In essence, while the family of orientation nurtures a person from birth, the family of procreation is the one they create as adults. 

Extended Family

this is composed of two or more nuclear families related to each other economically and socially.

Reconstituted Family

the current spouses were previously married and had children, and upon the dissolution of their previous marriages, these individuals remarried and created a new family by bringing in their children from their past marriages and often birthing their own.

Patrilocal

requires that newly married couple live with the family of the husband or near the residence of the parents of the husband.

Matrilocal 

requires that newlywed couple live with or near the residence of the wife’s parents.

Bilocal / Ambilocal 

provides the newlywed couple the freedom to select where to reside, i.e., near the husband’s or wife’s area.

Neolocal

permits the newlywed couple to reside independently of their parents.

Avunculocal

prescribes that the newlywed couple reside with or near the maternal uncle of the husband.

— refers to a living arrangement in which a married couple lives with or near the husband’s maternal uncle (his mother’s brother) after marriage. 

Natalocal

this arrangement allows both spouses to remain with their own households after marriage.

Patrilineal Descent

affiliates a person with a group of relatives related to him/her through his/her father.

Matrilineal Descent 

affiliates a person with a group of kinsmen related to him/her through the mother.

Bilateral Descent 

affiliates a person with a group of kinsmen related to him/her through both his/her father and mother.

Patriarchal Family

is one in which authority is vested in the oldest male member, often the father, or grandfather, or in the absence of parents, on the oldest male member.

Matriarchal Family

is one in which authority is vested in the mother or the mother’s kin.

Equalitarian

is one where the husband and wife exercise a more or less equal amount of authority.

Monogamy

permits the man to have only one spouse at any time

Polygamy

plural marriage

Polyandry

“multiple—men” marital arrangement in which a woman has more than one husband at the same time. This practice is rare and is traditionally found in a few societies, such as some Tibetan and Nepalese communities.

Polygyny

“multiple—women” marital arrangement in which a man has more than one wife at the same time. It is more common than polyandry and is practiced in various cultures and religions, particularly in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and among some Islamic communities.

Political Dynasty

refers to the continuous political rule of one family

Compadrazgo System

caused political alliances, which is based not on agreed political ideologies or platforms but more on a pseudo kinship basis. Refers to a network of relationships based on mutual favors, loyalty, and personal connections, often resembling a system of patronage.