Constructing Families and Social Relationships Flashcards
Human Groups
Humans rarely live in total isolation from other humans and often form social relations with one another
Kinship
The study of family composition, marriage, and descent patterns
Family
The smallest groups of individuals who see themselves as connected to one another
When studying kinship we look at:
- Classification
- Composition
- How relationships are formed and maintained
- How relationships are meaningful
- Family themes
- What disrupts family relations
David Schneider
Studies American kinship systems (Kinship is cultural, not biological)
Kin Types
Terms used by anthropologists to denote Biological relationships relationships among family members (father, mother, etc)
Kin Terms
Culture-specific terms used to denote family relationships (from an emic perspective)
Nuclear Family
The family group consisting of a father, mother, and their biological or adoptive children
Bilateral Kinship
A system in which individuals trace their descent through both parents
Matrilinear Kinship
A system of descent in which people are related to their kin though the mother only
Patrilineal Kinship
A system of descent in which people are related to their kin through the father only
Ethnographic Present
The present tense is used to describe a culture even though the description may be referring to situations that existed in the past
Brideservice
The requirement that when a couple marries, the groom must work for the bride’s family for a specified amount of time
The Trobriand Islanders and Matrilinear Kinship
- Live in villages
- Divided into hamlets (each have a dala)
- Revolve around extended family
- Most important relationship is between brother and sister
Dala
A group of men related to one another through the female line, along with their wives and unmarried children
Rural Chinese and Patrilineal Kinship
- Long line of patrilineal ancestors
- Only male children carry on family name
Affinity
A relationship that exists as a result of marriage, but is not the marital relationship itself
Incest Taboo
People should not partner with their siblings, parents, children, or cousins
Formation of Ju/’Hoansi Families
Men benefit greatly from marriage while women don’t benefit much from it
Formation of Trobriander Families
- No formal marriage Ceremony
- Bride’s family gives yams to the couple and grooms family gives bridewealth
- Trobrianders are allowed to divorce their partner
- Practice exogamy
Bridewealth
Valuables the groom’s family are expected or obligated to give a present to the bride’s family
Exogamy
When you must marry outside your own group
Endogamy
When you must marry from within your own group, may it be based on religion, lineage, or ethnicity
Formation of Rural Chinese Families
- Matchmakers arrange marriages
- Wedding ceremonies usually paid for by grooms family
- Bride’s family give groom’s family a Dowry
- Bride moves in with grooms family
Dowry
Goods and valuables that the bride’s family send to the groom’s family
Polygamy
A marriage that permits a person to have more than 1 spouse
Polygyny
When a man is permitted to have more than 1 wife (Ju/’hoansi practices it)
Polyandry
When a woman is permitted to have more than 1 husband (Ju/’hoansi practices it)
Partible Inheritance
A form of inheritance where the goods and property of a family is divided among the heirs
Impartible Inheritance
A form of inheritance where the goods and property of a family is passed on to one individual heir
