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.