Social, Cultural, and Political Institutions - Kinship

A social institution that refers to relations formed between members of society.
Explains the nature and reason for the formation of bonds that exist within a society.
Defined by sociologists as different forms of socially accepted relations amongst people through:
- Blood or consanguineal relationships
- Marriage
- Adoption
- Other culturally accepted rituals
Refers to how individuals are related to one another (by blood, marriage, or adoption).

Kinship is traced through bloodline or by birth.
Most basic and general form of relations.
Relationships include:
- Parents & children
- Siblings (half-siblings)
- Niece / nephew
- Aunt / uncle

Refers to a biological relationship.
Children descend from parents, having a biological relationship (parents and offspring).
Also refers to an individual’s children or his/her parent ancestry.

Refers to the line where one’s descent is traced.
An individual’s line can be traced by either the paternal or maternal line, or both.

Descent traced through a single line of ancestors from either the male or female line.
- Patrilineal: (Further explanation needed)
- Matrilineal: (Further explanation needed)

Some societies trace their descent through the ancestral lines of the mother and the father (non-unilineal or cognatic descent principle).
Activity: Create a family diagram using the bilateral descent.

What is Marriage?: A special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life (Article 1 of the Family Code of the Philippines).
Type of relations developed when a marriage occurs.
New forms of social relations emerge when marriage occurs.

Endogamy: Compulsory marriage in one’s own village, community, ethnic, social, or religious group.
- Example: India’s Caste System
Exogamy: (Out-marriage) Individual marries outside of their group.
- Purpose: Prevent incest
- Example: Tay-Sachs Disease (Ashkenazi Jewish or French-Canadian descent)

Monogamy: monos + gamos (Greek) = one union
Polygamy: An individual has multiple spouses; and they must do their obligations such as giving allowances or supporting the spouse and children economically.
- Polygyny: A man has multiple female partners/mates.
- Polyandry: A woman has multiple male partners/mates.
- Example: traditional Hindu law allowed polygamy if the first wife could not bear a son.

Compadrazgo: Godparenthood (spiritual parents)
- Compadre / kumpare (ninong)
- Kumare (ninang)
Can be done through the performance of Catholic rituals like baptism, confirmation, or marriage.

Family: Basic unit of social organization.
- Made up of a group of individuals who are linked together by marriage, blood relations, or adoption.
- Those members of the household who are related, to a specified degree, through blood, adoption, or marriage (UN, 2014).
Household: Composed of one or more people who occupy a housing unit.
- One-person: An arrangement in which one person makes provision for his or her own food or other essentials for living without combining with any other person.
- Multi-person: Group of two or more persons living together who make common provision for food or other essentials for living.

Nuclear Family: Usually made up of two adults and their socially recognized children.
- Made up of a married couple and their biological or adopted child / children.
Extended Family: Members go beyond the nuclear family made up of parents and their offspring.
1. Single nuclear family + other persons related to the nucleus (ex. Married couple living with their relatives)
2. 2 or more nuclear families related to each other without any other persons
3. 2 or more nuclear families related to each other + other persons related to at least one of the nuclear families
Blended Family: Parents have a child or children from previous marital relationships but all the members stay and congregate to form a new family unit.