Lecture 7: Kinship, Descent and Marriage Flashcards
sexual dimorphism
marked differences in male and female biology besides the primary and secondary sexual features.
gender
encompasses traits that a culture assigns to and inculcates in males and females – the cultural construction of whether one is female, male, non-binary or something else
three societies on the same island - differences in male / female personalities
- arapesh women
- mundugumor men and women
- tchambuli men
arapesh women
mild, parental, responsive
mundugumor men and women
fierce and agressive
tchambuli men
catty
feminism: first wave
focus on suffrage
feminism: second wave
focus on contraceptives and equal pay
feminism: third wave
focus on liberation and the body
how many waves of feminism
3
contributions of men and women
roughly equal cross-culturally
domestic activities
female labour dominates
extra domestic activities
male labor dominates
primary caregivers
women
gender stratification
the social ranking (men typically higher status than women)
distribution gender stratification
Gender stratification relatively low when men and women made roughly equal contributions to subsistence.
Gender stratification is less developed among foragers or hunters and gatherers
hunters and warriors - why men exclusive service?
Greater size, strength and mobility of men
hunters and warriors - why women kept from being primary hunters
Pregnancy and lactation
domestic-public dichotomy
strong differentiation between home and the outside world is called the domestic-public dichotomy, or the private-public contrast.
domestic-public dichotomy and gender stratification
Domestic-public dichotomy influences gender stratification in industrial societies.
Gender roles changing rapidly in western societies.
The ‘traditional’ idea that a ‘woman’s place is in the home’ developed among middle- and upper-class citizens as industrialism spread after 1900.
economic change and attitudes toward women
Gendered work, attitudes, and beliefs have varied in response to economic needs. Changes in economy led to changes in attitudes toward and about women.
nuclear family
mother, father and biological children
family of orientation
family in which one is born and grows up
family of procreation
formed when one marries and has children
is the nuclear family universal?
The nuclear family is widespread, but not universal: in many societies, extended families are the primary unit of social organization.
neo locality
married couples may live hundreds of miles away from parents
extended family household
expanded family household that includes three or more generations.
family of procreation pattern
Family of procreation living neo locally most prevalent residence pattern in industrialized societies.
descent group
a permanent social unit whose members say they have ancestors in common
unlineal descent
decent rule uses one line only, either the male of the female
matrilineal descent
individuals automatically join the mother’s descent group when they are born
patrilineal descent
individuals automatically join the father’s descent group when they are born
(am)bilineal descent
(one of) two lines of descent
lineage
unilineal descent group based on demonstrated descent
clan
descent group that claims common descent from an apical ancestor but cannot demonstrate it (stipulated descent).
Patrilocality
married couple lives with husband’s family; associated with patrilineal descent and more common than matrilocality
Matrilocality
married couple lives with wife’s family; associated with matrilineal descent and less common than patrilocality
ambilineal descent
people choose the descent group to which they belong. Membership is achieved and fluid. People can change their descent-group membership or belong to two or more groups at the same time.
kinship calculation
how people in a society describe their kin relationships.
ego
the position from which one views an egocentric genealogy.
genealogical kin types
relates to actual genealogical relationship (father’s brother) as opposed to kin term (uncle)
bilateral kinship calculation
people tend to perceive kin links through males and females as being similar or equal
Lineal kinship terminology
four parental kin terms
lineal relative
ego’s direct descendant
Collateral relatives
relative outside ego’s direct line
Affinals
relatives by marriage
Kinship classification systems
Native taxonomies have been developed over generations by the people who live in a particular society. There are four ways of classifying kin on the parental generation:
bifurcate merging
splits mother’s side from father’s side, but also merges same-sex siblings of each parent
Generational
uses the same term for parents and their siblings, but lumping is more complete. Does not distinguish between mother’s and father’s side
Bifurcate collateral
separate terms are used for each of six kin types of the parental generation; not as common
bifurcate collateral mostly used in …
north africa and the middle east
genitor
biological father of a child
pater
socially recognized father of a child
exogamy
practice of seeking a spouse outside one’s own group
incest
forbidden sexual relations with a close relative. What constitutes incest varies widely from culture to culture.
parallel cousins
children of two brothers or two sisters
cross-cousin
children of a brother and a sister
endogamy
marriage of people from the same group. Classes and ethnic groups are frequently quasi-endogamous groups.
homogamy
to marry someone similar.
manifest function
reason given for a custom by the people themselves
latent function
effects custom has that are not explicitly recognized by the people themselves, like reproduction of political hierarchy and economic function
mater
mater = socially recognized mother of a child
dowry
marital exchange in which wife’s group provides substantial gifts to husband’s family
bride wealth / bride prize
substantial marital gift from husband and his kin to the wife and her kin
gifts at marriage
- bride wealth or bride prize
- dowry
Sororate
husband may marry the wife’s sister if
the wife dies
Levirate
right to marry husband’s brother if
husband dies
