Kinship, Affinity, and Family

Flashcards about kinship, affinity, and family based on lecture notes.

What is kinship?

An area of social relations concerning kin or people we call relatives.

Who are kin?

Those to whom we are related biologically or by marriage.

What are the two anthropological jargons related to Kinship?

Consanguinity (sharing blood) and affinity (marriage).

What is a nuclear family?

A kinship unit consisting of a father, mother, and children.

How do humans construct kinship groups?

Tracking genealogical descent through consanguineous relatives.

What are the two types of unilineal descent groups?

Matrilineal (through female ancestors) and patrilineal (through male ancestors).

What is ambilineal kinship?

Kinship groups trace kinship through both lines.

Who is Lewis Henry Morgan?

He noticed that the Iroquois had a different kinship system and devised a questionnaire to detect native terms for relatives.

What are the two primary kinship systems identified by Morgan?

Classificatory (classifies a group of relatives under a single term) and descriptive (uses separate words for each relationship).

What is affinity?

Relationship established through marriage, alliance, or partnership.

What are incest taboos?

Rules forbidding sexual relations with close relatives.

What is the aim of arranged marriages?

Aim at maintaining a certain group identity and are based on obligation and commitment to the larger group.