Chapter 8 Flashcards
why are words to describe family members important (mother, cousin)?
they indicate rights and responsibilities associated with particular family members
what is kinship?
culturally recognized ties between family members by blood, marriage, and “chosen kin”
what kind of relationships does kinship include?
consanguineal, affinal, and “chosen kin”
what are consanguineal relationships?
blood connections
what are affinal relationships?
those created through marriage
what are chosen kin?
no formal blood/marriage ties but consider each other as family
what is a kinship system?
pattern of culturally recognized relationships between family members
what is a patrilineal descent?
a kinship group created through the paternal line (fathers and their children)
what is a matrilineal descent?
a kinship group created through the maternal line (mothers and their children)
what is a unilineal descent?
families are defined by descent from only the father’s/mother’s side of the family
what is a bilateral descent?
families are defined by descent from both the mother’s and father’s sides of the family
what are descent groups?
relationships providing members with a sense of identity and social support based on ties of shared ancestry
what are kinship diagrams?
visualize descent groups and kinship
what is lineage?
descent from a common ancestor
what does matriarchal mean?
a society where women have the authority to make decisions
does descent mean power?
no
in matrilineal lineages, who may women be subject more to regarding power?
their brothers and uncles through their mother’s side
what is kinship terminology?
terms used in a language to describe relatives
what is the Hawaiian system of kinship terminology?
- siblings and first cousins call each other brother and sister
- all one’s father’s brother’s would also be called father
- all one’s mother’s sister’s would also be called mother
what is a clan?
a group of people who have a general notion of common descent that’s not attached to a specific ancestor
what is serial monogamy?
marriage to a succession of spouses, one at a time
what are nuclear/conjugal families?
parents along with their minor/dependent children (two generations)
what are non-conjugal families?
single-parent families
what are extended families?
a family of at least three gens sharing a household
what are stem families?
a version of an extended family including an older couple and one of their adult children with a spouse and children
what are joint families?
a very large extended family that includes multiple gens
what are polygamous families?
plural marriages where there are multiple wives/husbands
what are step/blended families?
families that develop when adults who have been widowed/divorced marry again and bring children from previous partnerships together`
what is polygyny?
one husband, multiple wives who are usually sisters
what is polyandry?
one wife, multiple husbands
what is endogamy?
marriage within a cultural group
what is exogamy?
marriage outside a cultural group
what is a patrilateral cousin marriage?
marrying a male/female cousin on your father’s side
what are some reasons why a marriage may be arranged?
families have something in common, financial reasons, to match people with others from the correct social, economic, or religious group, etc.
what is sororal polygyny?
marriage of one man to several sisters
what is fraternal polyandry?
marriage of one woman to a group of husbands
what is a dowry?
payments made to the groom’s family before marriage
what is bride wealth?
payments made to the bride’s family before marriage
what is a family?
the smallest group of individuals who see themselves as connected to each other
what are households/domestic groups?
family members who reside together or who share resources and activities pertaining to domestic life
what can a dowry represent?
higher status of the groom’s family and its ability to demand payment for taking on the economic responsibility of a wife
in what type of society was dowry most common in?
agricultural societies
in agricultural societies, what was the most valuable commodity for dowries?
land
in what type of societies are bridewealths common in?
pastoralist societies
what are families of orientation?
families in which someone was raised
what is a family of procreation?
a new household formed for the purpose of conceiving and raising children
what is a neolocal residence?
a new location
what is a patrilocal residence?
a couple resides with the husband’s father’s family after marriage
what is an avunculocal residence?
a couple resides with the wife’s mother’s brother
what type of societies are avunculocal residences most common in?
matrilineal societies
what is a matrilocal residence?
after marriage, couple resides with wife’s mother’s family
what is the best-known inheritance pattern?
by the oldest male
