kinship

• Kinship


  A social institution that refers to relations formed between members of society. It explains the nature and reason for the formation of the different types of bonds that exist within society.
• Consanguineal kinship


  Kinship based on blood, considered the most basic and general form of relations. The relationship is achieved by birth or blood affinity.
• Descent


  A biological relationship. Societies recognize that children descend from parents and that there exists a biological relationship between parents and their offspring.
• Lineage


  The line where one's descent is traced. An individual's descent can be traced by studying either the person's paternal or maternal line.
• Patrilineal form of descent


  • Both males and females belong to the kin group of their father but they do not belong to their mother's kin group
• Matrilineal form of descent


  • Focuses on the unilineal descent that is traced through the female line
• Bilateral form of descent


  • Kinship is traced both ancestral lines of the mother and the father
• Affinal kinship


  Kinship based on marriage, refers to the type of relations developed when a marriage occurs. When a marriage takes place, new forms of social relations are developed.
• Endogamy


  • Compulsory marriage, practiced by a number of ethnic groups, religious groups, and the aristocratic classes
• Exogamy


  • Out-marriage, refers to a marriage custom where an individual is required by society's norms and rules to marry outside of their own group, community, or social classes
• Monogamy


  • Marriage or sexual partnering custom or practice where an individual has only one male or female or mate
• Polygamy


  • The practice of having more than one partner or sexual mate
• Polygyny


  • A man has multiple female partners or mates
• Polyandry


  • A woman has multiple male partners or mates
• Patrilocal


  • Married couples stay in the house of the husband's relatives or near the husband's kin
• Matrilocal


  • Couples live with the wife's relative or near the wife's kin
• Biolocal


  • The newlywed couple stay with the husband's relatives and the wife's kin alternately
• Arranged marriage


  • Marriage partners are not referred but they are arranged by the parents of the groom and bride
• Referred marriage


  • Matchmakers help their single friends or relatives to find their possible husband or wife by referring them to another man or woman who is also interested to find a life partner