(The information in this talk has been taken from Ann Samuelson’s presentation “Kinship,” Conrad Kottak’s presentations “Marriage” and “Kinship”, and Conformity.

(The information in this talk has been taken from Ann Samuelson’s presentation “Kinship,” Conrad Kottak’s

presentations “Marriage” and “Kinship”, and Conformity and Conflict 10 ed.)

Family, kinship, and marriage

A few questions: What’s family? What’s kinship? What’s

marriage?

A fundamental social group in society• 2+ people who share goals and

values, have long-term commitments to one another, and reside usually in the same dwelling place.

• Usually based on kinship relationships• Usually implies rights and obligations

• Economic• Child-rearing• Etc.

• Nuclear family - widespread but not universal

Family

Kinship

How cultures perceive and formally categorize people’s relationships based on marriage, biology, and adoption• Consanguinity = by common ancestor, adoption• Affinity = by marriage

• helps to answer questions:• Who am I close to? Who am I distant from?• Who can I marry?• Who can I be romantically involved/have sex with?• Who am I obligated to cooperate with?• Who provides support during crises?• Who shares in economic and religious undertakings?• Etc.

• As long as a society remains small, kinship groups are very important.

Kinship cross-culturally

Lots of variety At individual level, usually ascribed Possibilities include:

• Unilineal Matrilineal Patrilineal

• Bilateral (e.g. most in U.S.A.& Canada, Inuit)

• Others (e.g. bilineal, ambilineal)

• Matrilineal descent: Heritage traced back to mother’s mother, mother and her siblings, and the children of your mother’s sisters. Less common. (e.g. Hopi, Canela)

Matrilocal: New husband moves in with the wife and her parents.

Pros?Cons?

Matrilineal descent

• Patrilineal descent: Most common type of Unilineal decent. Traces ancestry through male lines: starting with father’s father to father and father’s siblings, to the children of your father’s brothers. (e.g. Japan, China, feudal Europe)

Patrilocality: When a son and his family lives with his parents.

Pros?Cons?

Patrilineal descent

Marriage

Marriage cross-culturally:• 1 man + 1 woman almost

always an option but many societies also allow other forms of marriage:

Polyandry (rare) Polygyny (more common)

• Other possibilities: Same sex marriages Arranged marriages Etc.

Marriage is pretty much universal, but it’s difficult to define!

Marriage can:• establish children’s parentage• establish marriage participants’ exclusive right

to sex• give one spouse the right another spouse’s

labor and/or property• establish a joint fund of property for children • establish social ties between the spouses’

relatives• etc.

Examples:• Tibet• The Nuer - same

sex and “ghost” marriages allowed

• The Masai of East Africa - polygyny allowed

• Feudal Europe - arranged marriages

A masai elder with his wives and children.

Example: polyandry (1 woman, multiple husbands)

A polyandrous family in Nepal. The seated young woman is Terribal, age 15. She holds her youngest husband, age 5. Left of her is another husband, age 12 and behind her a third husband, age 9.

Divorce is found in most if not all societies, but the rules vary from society to society.

Factors that can influence divorce rate:• Are spouses financially independent?• Was bridewealth paid?• Will a woman lose her children if she

leaves?• Etc.

Group discussion

“Family trees” - compare• Similarities?• Differences?

How have ideas of family & marriage changed in the U.S. over the past 50 years?

Why do you think these changes have happened?

How are these changes reflected/intensified by the media?