kinship

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kinship
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Core Topic
In many societies it is the single most important
social institution. Close interrelationship
between it and social organization. It is both
Biological Cultural
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Central Features
Reproduction of Society Incest
Exogamy Politics Organization of Daily
Lives Judicial Inheritance Succession
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Reproduction of Society Incest Exogamy
Expansion of Group Instinctual Endogamy Exogamy
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Politics Economics
Economic Investments Trust Joint
Businesses Political Stability Loyalty Not
between Individuals but Groups
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Inheritance Succession
Transmission of Property Transmission of
Office Primogeniture Ultimogeniture Possible
Source of Conflict
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Transmitting Kin Membership
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Patrilineal Through fathers lineage Matrilineal
Through mothers lineage Double Some through
both but separate Cognatic Transmission through
either Parallel Men to sons Women to
daughters Alternating Men to daughters women
to sons
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Patrilineal Matrilineal
Both politically dominated by men
Transmitted through Father to Child (usually
son) Wives of men ensure continuity
Transmitted through Mothers Brother to
Daughters Son Mens sisters ensure continuity
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Clans Lineages
Lineages know there ancestral links can prove
it Clans can Not
Conical Hierarchical Central
Segmentary Non-hierarchical Acephalous
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Biology Kinship
Assumption of Reproduction as Primary Drive for
Human Action
Men Spread Genes as far as they can
Women Find Men to protect them off-spring
Family Solidarity through Genes v.s Strong
Commitments to Non-Blood Relatives
Homicide
All Our Kin