C

Class 13 - Wednesday, March 12

Kinship, Family, and Marriage

  • Date: Wednesday, March 12

Kinship

  • Definition: Culturally recognized ties between family members.

    • Includes:

      • Blood relations

      • Non-blood relations (e.g., spouses, in-laws, adopted family, godparents)

Kinship Systems

  • Overview: General patterns governing relationships and responsibilities within families.

    • Governed by culturally recognized relationships.

    • Control economic resources and influence decisions on:

      • Residence

      • Marriage

      • Property disposition after death

Types of Kinship Systems

  • Unilineal Systems: Inheritance from one side of the family.

    • Patrilineal: Inherit from father's side.

    • Matrilineal: Inherit from mother's side.

  • Bilateral Descent: Equal inheritance from both sides of the family.

Family Structures

  • Basic Unit: Typically a mother and child.

    • Types of families:

      • Nuclear Family: Parents and children.

      • Extended Family: Includes relatives beyond the nuclear family.

      • Stem Family: A family unit that includes an adult child and their parents.

Kinship Terminology

  • Gendered Terms: Reflect gender roles in family (e.g., niece/nephew, brother/sister).

  • Varying designations for cousins and other relatives indicate their cultural importance.

    • Special titles for significant blood relatives or non-blood relations (e.g., 'aunt' for a close family friend).

Marriage

  • Definitions:

    • Monogamy: One partner.

    • Polygamy: Multiple partners.

      • Polyandry: One woman, multiple husbands.

      • Polygyny: One man, multiple wives.

    • Endogamy: Marriage within cultural group.

    • Exogamy: Marriage outside cultural group.

Marriage Exchanges

  • Purpose: Strengthening relationships and redistributing wealth.

    • Dowry: Transfer of property from bride's family to the groom's family.

    • Bridewealth: Transfer from groom's family to the bride's family.

Post-Marital Residence Patterns

  • Neolocal: Couple establishes a new home.

  • Patrilocal: Couple resides with groom's family.

  • Matrilocal: Couple resides with bride's family.

  • Avunculocal: Couple resides with bride's uncle.

Same Sex Marriage

  • Remark: Patterns primarily focused on heterosexual relationships.

    • Same-sex partnerships occur across cultures despite legal variances.

    • Share common decisions similar to heterosexual unions but may require different solutions.

Adoption

  • Common Form: Adults adopting infants or children. This can:

    • Reallocate familial ties due to parental inability or desire.

    • Strengthen bonds between families.

    • Include more complex arrangements, such as adult adoptions.

Families and Cultural Change

  • Note: Family and marriage structures are subject to cultural shifts over time.

    • Changes in culture may create pressures leading to adaptations in familial structures.

    • Unique family dynamics illustrate individuality despite general patterns.