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KINSHIP AND DESCENT (continued):Tracing Descent, Primary Kinship Systems

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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Lesson 15
KINSHIP AND DESCENT (continued)
Tracing Descent
In societies that trace their descent unilineally, people recognize that they belong to a particular unilineal
descent group or series of groups. Sixty percent of cultures in the world are unilineal. Unilineal groups are
adaptive and clear-cut social units, based on birthright, which in turn influence inheritance, marriage and
prestige issues
Kinship Organization
Kinship is organized on the basis of different groups of varying sizes:
Lineages are based on a set of kin who can trace their ancestry back through known links
Clans are unilineal groups which claim descent but they are unable to trace all their genealogical links
Phratries are groups of related clan
Moieties are two halves of a society related by descent
Bilateral Descent
A person is related equally to both sides of the family on the basis of bilateral descent. This form of descent
is prevalent in foraging and industrialized societies. Bilateral systems are symmetrical and result in the
formation of kindred, which are loose kinship networks rather than being permanent corporate functioning
groups.
Double Descent
A double unilineal descent system is one where descendents are traced matrineally and patrineally. As a
result, both sides of the family have a useful social function such as enabling inheritance. Under this system,
it is possible for moveable property such as livestock or agricultural produce to be inherited from the
mother's side, whereas non-moveable property (land) may be inherited from the father's side. This system is
found in only 5% of world cultures (for e.g. the Yako in Nigeria).
Primary Kinship Systems
There are six basic types of kinship systems used to define how cultures distinguish between different
categories of relatives.
Eskimo are found in one-tenth of the world societies, this system involves bilateral descent, focusing on
nuclear relations and lumping external relatives (cousins, uncles and aunts).
Hawaiian are found in a third of world societies, this system uses the same term for all relatives of the
same gender and generation, so the term mother is used not only for the mother but also for her sisters and
the father's sisters. Cousins are termed brothers and sisters. This is an ambivalent system, which submerges
the nuclear family into a larger kinship group.
Iroquois are a less prevalent system which emphasizes the importance of unilineal descent groups by
distinguishing between members of one's own lineage and those belonging to other lineages.
Sudanese are the system is named after the country where the system was first identified. It is the most
pluralistic system since it makes the most terminological distinctions.
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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Omaha emphasizes patrilineal descent, the father and his brothers are referred to by the same term and the
paternal cousins are called siblings, but cross cousins are referred to by separate terms. On the mother's side
there is a merging of generations, all her male relatives are called mother's brother.
Crow is the exact opposite of the Omaha system, as it emphasizes maternal relations which are all
important for determining the descent group of children.
Kinship Diagrams
Cultural Anthropologists often use kinship diagrams to help explain family structures, which use simple
symbols for males and females, and to indicate what their relationships are to each other.
The diagram below depicts a married couple and their two children (a son and a daughter):
Useful Terms
Descent: established linage
Ambivalent: unclear
Influence: power
Social function: the particular purpose served for society
Prestige: Social honor or respect within a society
Suggested Readings
Students are advised to read the following chapters to develop a better understanding of the various
principals highlighted in this hand-out:
Chapter 10 in `Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective' by Ferrarro and/or Chapter 21 in `Anthropology' by
Ember and Pergrine
Internet Resources
In addition to reading from the textbook, please visit the following web-pages for this lecture, which
provide useful and interesting information:
Descent: Terms and Concepts
http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/D/descent.html
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Table of Contents:
  1. WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY?:Cultural Anthropology, Internet Resources
  2. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE AND THE APPLICATION OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
  3. MAJOR THEORIES IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Diffusionism
  4. GROWTH OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY (continued):Post Modernism
  5. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Comments on Fieldwork
  6. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):Census Taking
  7. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD
  8. ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):THE DISTRIBUTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES
  9. FOCUSING ON LANGUAGE:Languages of the World, Structure of Language
  10. FOCUS ON LANGUAGE (continued):Levels of Complexity, Cultural Emphasis
  11. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURES:Optimal Foraging, Suggested Readings
  12. FOOD AND CULTURE (continued):Food Collectors, Food Production
  13. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURE (continued):Pastoralism, Agriculture
  14. RELEVANCE OF KINSHIP AND DESCENT:Kinship Criteria, Rules of Descent
  15. KINSHIP AND DESCENT (continued):Tracing Descent, Primary Kinship Systems
  16. THE ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE:Economic Aspect of Marriage
  17. ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE (continued):Family Structures
  18. GENDER AND CULTURE:Gender Stratification, Suggested Readings
  19. GENDER ROLES IN CULTURE (continued):Women Employment, Feminization of Poverty
  20. STRATIFICATION AND CULTURE:Social Ranking, Dimensions of Inequality
  21. THEORIES OF STRATIFICATION (continued):The Functionalists, Conflict Theorists
  22. CULTURE AND CHANGE:Inventions, Diffusion, Donor, Conventional
  23. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Cultural Interrelations, Reaction to Change
  24. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Planned Change, Globalization
  25. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION:Bands, Tribal Organizations, Chiefdoms
  26. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):State Systems, Nation-States
  27. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):Social Norms, Informal Mechanisms
  28. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE:Emotional Development, Psychological Universals
  29. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE (continued):Origin of Customs, Personality Types
  30. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE:Ideology in Everyday Life, Hegemony
  31. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE (Continued):Political ideologies, Economic Ideology
  32. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES:Variation in Associations, Age Sets
  33. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES (continued):Formation of Associations
  34. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE:Similarity in Human Adaptations
  35. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE (continued):Inter-group Relations
  36. CULTURE AND BELIEFS:Social Function of Religion, Politics and Beliefs
  37. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE:Changing Definitions of Local Knowledge
  38. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE (continued):The Need for Caution
  39. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT:Influence of Development Notions
  40. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Contentions in Development
  41. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Operational
  42. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART:Relevance of Art, Art and Politics
  43. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART (continued):Art as a Status Symbol
  44. ETHICS IN ANTHROPOLOGY:Ethical Condemnation, Orientalism
  45. RELEVANCE OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Ensuring Cultural Survival