In-depth Notes on Kinship, Family, and Household

Objectives

  • Discuss three kinds of kinship:

  • Appreciate and reflect on the connection among kinship, descent lines, and types of marriages.

  • Complete class activities related to the topics covered.

Key Concepts in Kinship

Basic Terminology

  • Kinship: Patterns of social relationships or a study of these patterns in human cultures.

  • Family Types:

  • Nuclear Family: Consists of parents and their children.

  • Extended Family: Includes relatives beyond the nuclear family.

Kinship Systems

  1. Blood (Consanguineal) Kinship:

  • Direct blood relatives such as parents, children, and siblings.

  • Family of Orientation: The family one is born into and grows up with.

  • Family of Procreation: The family created through marriage and legal processes.

  1. Descent Lines:

  • Unilineal Descent: Affiliation with one parent’s side only.

    • Patrilineal: Tracing descent through the father.

    • Matrilineal: Tracing descent through the mother.

    • Bilateral: Equal affiliation with relatives on both sides.

    • Ambilineal: Choice of descent affiliation.

    • Double Unilineal: Recognition of both patrilineal and matrilineal groups.

  1. Marriage (Affinal) Relationships:

  • A recognized union that establishes rights and obligations.

  • Monogamous Marriage: One partner.

  • Polygamous Marriage: Multiple partners.

    • Polygynous: One man with multiple women.

    • Polyandrous: One woman with multiple men.

  • Exogamy: Marrying outside of one’s social group.

  • Endogamy: Marrying within one’s social group.

Types of Kinships

  • Primary Kins: In nuclear family relationships (e.g., father-son, mother-daughter).

  • Secondary Kins: Relatives outside of the nuclear family (e.g., cousins, aunts, uncles).

  • Tertiary Kins: Connections beyond secondary kins (e.g., spouse’s relatives).

Types of Marriages

  • Polygyny: One man marries multiple women, can be sororal (sisters) or non-sororal (unrelated).

  • Polyandry: One woman marries multiple men, can be fraternal (brothers) or non-fraternal (unrelated).

  • Monogamy: One spouse only; the most common form.

  • Serial Monogamy: Remarriage allowed after divorce or death of a spouse.

  • Group Marriage: Multiple men and women marry each other collectively.

Rules of Marriage

  • Endogamy: Marrying within the group (e.g., caste).

  • Exogamy: Marrying outside of the group.

  • Forms include gotra, pravara, and village exogamy.

  • Isogamy and Anisogamy: Marriage between equals or between individuals of different statuses.

Reflective Inquiry Questions

  1. Current Filipino values regarding marriage.

  2. Personal views on marrying for love versus money.

Types of Residency Patterns

  • Patrilocal: Residence with husband's family.

  • Matrilocal: Residence with wife's family.

  • Neolocal: Independent residence.

Authority Patterns

  • Patriarchal: Male authority in families.

  • Matriarchal: Female authority in families.

  • Egalitarian: Equal authority between genders.