Rules of DescentRules of Descent

How Kin Are Reckoned How Kin Are Reckoned (Recognized)(Recognized)

What is Kinship?What is Kinship?

Study of relations based onStudy of relations based on Sex and GenderSex and Gender MarriageMarriage FamilyFamily Inheritance and successionInheritance and succession Extended family and larger Extended family and larger

groupsgroups Rules of descentRules of descent Foundation of social Foundation of social

anthropologyanthropology

Why Kinship?Why Kinship?

World’s first organization.World’s first organization. Forms basis of:Forms basis of: Property rightsProperty rights Division of laborDivision of labor Economic unitsEconomic units Political organizations--Political organizations--

even wareven war Law and customary lawLaw and customary law Supernatural relationsSupernatural relations

Constants of Kinship: Constants of Kinship: BiologicalBiological

Sex: The First Two ConstantsSex: The First Two Constants Men impregnate the womenMen impregnate the women Women bear the childrenWomen bear the children This implies cooperation between two This implies cooperation between two

personperson May imply cooperation between two May imply cooperation between two

groupsgroups Long period of child dependenceLong period of child dependence Mother nurtures the child (as depicted Mother nurtures the child (as depicted

by this statue of Yashoda and Krishna by this statue of Yashoda and Krishna in India)in India)

Enculturation involves both sexesEnculturation involves both sexes

Constants of Kinship: DeathConstants of Kinship: Death—Or You Can’t Take It With —Or You Can’t Take It With

YouYou Death: Demands a Death: Demands a

replacementreplacement Decisions on inheritanceDecisions on inheritance:: Property to eldest son?Property to eldest son? Property divided among Property divided among

male or all children?male or all children? Decisions on successionDecisions on succession:: Important political postsImportant political posts Governance of family, Governance of family,

larger kin grouplarger kin group

Constants of Kinship: Incest Constants of Kinship: Incest Tabu ITabu I

A cultural universal A cultural universal tabu:tabu:

Primary kin may not Primary kin may not mate with each othermate with each other

Father-daughter (as Father-daughter (as depicted here of Lot and depicted here of Lot and his daughters in his daughters in Genesis)Genesis)

Mother-sonMother-son Brother-sisterBrother-sister

Constants of Kinship: Incest Tabu Constants of Kinship: Incest Tabu IIII

Exceptions: Brother sister Exceptions: Brother sister marriage of royal lineagemarriage of royal lineage

Egyptian (depicted), Inca, Egyptian (depicted), Inca, HawaiiansHawaiians

Implications: mates must Implications: mates must be sought outside family be sought outside family or groupor group

Tylor: Tribes have the Tylor: Tribes have the option “to marry out or option “to marry out or die out”die out”

Constants of Kinship: Male Constants of Kinship: Male DominanceDominance

Male DominanceMale Dominance Males exercise authority over Males exercise authority over

households and wider groupshouseholds and wider groups Such as this group of Masai Such as this group of Masai

men to the upper leftmen to the upper left Exceptions often illustrate Exceptions often illustrate

the rulethe rule Iroquois: women control land Iroquois: women control land

they cultivate (left), votethey cultivate (left), vote But they do not sit on council But they do not sit on council

or serve as chiefsor serve as chiefs

Overview of Topics IOverview of Topics I

Begin with principles of descentBegin with principles of descent Descent governs all aspects of kinshipDescent governs all aspects of kinship Gender relationsGender relations Sexual behavior (especially incest)Sexual behavior (especially incest) Gender statuses and rolesGender statuses and roles MarriageMarriage Definitions (including sambandham)Definitions (including sambandham) Its functionsIts functions Marriage types Marriage types

Overview of Topics IIOverview of Topics II

Family and household typesFamily and household types Nuclear and extendedNuclear and extended Postmarital residentialPostmarital residential Multiple marriageMultiple marriage Descent-based groupsDescent-based groups Lineages and ClansLineages and Clans Corporate and otherCorporate and other Marriage alliancesMarriage alliances

Principles of Descent: Nuts Principles of Descent: Nuts and Boltsand Bolts

Figures on chartFigures on chart Triangles: malesTriangles: males Circles: femalesCircles: females Squares: either sexSquares: either sex LinesLines Vertical: generational Vertical: generational

linklink Horizontal above figures: Horizontal above figures:

sibling linksibling link Equal sign or horizontal Equal sign or horizontal

line below figures: affinal line below figures: affinal (or marriage) link(or marriage) link

Principles of Descent: Two Principles of Descent: Two Major TypesMajor Types

Bilateral:Bilateral: one reckons one reckons kin through both sexes kin through both sexes equally (top)equally (top)

Unilineal:Unilineal: one one reckons kin through reckons kin through the male line only or the male line only or the female line onlythe female line only

Patrilineal:Patrilineal: the male the male line only (lower left)line only (lower left)

Matrilineal:Matrilineal: the the female line only (lower female line only (lower right)right)

Kinship reckoning is Kinship reckoning is SocialSocial

Exercise: Name all 4 grandparentsExercise: Name all 4 grandparents Name siblings of all 4 grandparentsName siblings of all 4 grandparents Name all 8 great grandparentsName all 8 great grandparents Biological kin are socially selectedBiological kin are socially selected Bilateral descent: memory in Anglo-Bilateral descent: memory in Anglo-

American societyAmerican society Other societies: land rights, community Other societies: land rights, community

seatsseats Unilineal: automatic exclusion of kinUnilineal: automatic exclusion of kin

Descent Rules: BilateralDescent Rules: Bilateral Definition: Rule by which kin Definition: Rule by which kin

are reckoned through both are reckoned through both male and female kin equally.male and female kin equally.

Term: Term: bibi- means two; - means two; laterallateral means sidemeans side

Emphasis is on closeness or Emphasis is on closeness or distance of kin laterallydistance of kin laterally

Bilateral reckoning is Bilateral reckoning is inclusiveinclusive

All on this chart are kinAll on this chart are kin Nonkin mechanism does the Nonkin mechanism does the

exclusionexclusion

Descent Rules: UnilinealDescent Rules: Unilineal

Rule of affiliation with aRule of affiliation with a Group of kin with descent Group of kin with descent

links to ancestor through links to ancestor through one sex onlyone sex only PatrilinealPatrilineal: Line of kin : Line of kin

comprises males onlycomprises males only Matrilineal: Matrilineal: Line of kin Line of kin

comprises females only comprises females only Emphasis: line of kin, not Emphasis: line of kin, not

those in one side or otherthose in one side or other

Patrilineal Descent: ExercisePatrilineal Descent: Exercise

Use name with P, for PatrilinealUse name with P, for Patrilineal Name by number those personsName by number those persons Who have name at birthWho have name at birth Who retain name at marriageWho retain name at marriage Who pass name on to childrenWho pass name on to children Name by number those who lose name Name by number those who lose name

upon marriageupon marriage Name by number those who gain name Name by number those who gain name

through marriagethrough marriage

Matrilineal Descent: Matrilineal Descent: ExerciseExercise

Use name with M, for PatrilinealUse name with M, for Patrilineal Name by number those personsName by number those persons Who have name at birthWho have name at birth Who retain name at marriageWho retain name at marriage Who pass name on to childrenWho pass name on to children Name by number those who lose name Name by number those who lose name

upon marriageupon marriage Name by number those who gain name Name by number those who gain name

through marriagethrough marriage

Principles of Unilineal Principles of Unilineal DescentDescent

Kin not directly descended through one Kin not directly descended through one sex from ancestor are excludedsex from ancestor are excluded

Those with females in line of patrilineal Those with females in line of patrilineal descent are excluded descent are excluded

Those with males in line of matrilineal Those with males in line of matrilineal descent are excludeddescent are excluded

Who’s left?Who’s left? Patrilineal kin Patrilineal kin Matrilineal kinMatrilineal kin

Double (Unilineal) DescentDouble (Unilineal) Descent

DefinitionDefinition Coexistence of patrilineal Coexistence of patrilineal

and matrilineal descent and matrilineal descent in same culture.in same culture.

Patrilineal descent exists Patrilineal descent exists for some purposesfor some purposes

Matrilineal descent exists Matrilineal descent exists for other purposes.for other purposes.

Look at chart in book: Are Look at chart in book: Are some people excluded?some people excluded?

Double (Unilineal) Descent:Double (Unilineal) Descent: Yakö of S. NigeriaYakö of S. Nigeria Mixed cultivation with cattle Mixed cultivation with cattle

herdingherding Lived in Umor, a densely populated Lived in Umor, a densely populated

citycity Property ownershipProperty ownership Male property: land, trees, houses, Male property: land, trees, houses,

cattlecattle Female property: household items, Female property: household items,

coinscoins Property inheritance: Property inheritance: Patrilineal: all immovable propertyPatrilineal: all immovable property Matrilineal: all moveable propertyMatrilineal: all moveable property

A Riddle: Who Has the Cow, A Riddle: Who Has the Cow, Man?Man?

(Sorry, Bart)(Sorry, Bart) Male property mostly inherited by Male property mostly inherited by

sonssons Female property mostly inherited Female property mostly inherited

by daughtersby daughters Cattle, male property,Cattle, male property, Is moveableIs moveable Therefore is inherited matrilineallyTherefore is inherited matrilineally Question: who gets the cattle? Question: who gets the cattle? Hint: Has to be consanguineal kin. Hint: Has to be consanguineal kin.

Give Up?Give Up? Cattle go from Cattle go from

mother’s brothermother’s brother To sister’s sonTo sister’s son This relationship is This relationship is

known as the known as the avunculateavunculate

It recurs in other It recurs in other societiessocieties

And under otherAnd under other circumstances circumstances

Such as this Kaguru Such as this Kaguru legend of famine and legend of famine and mothersmothers

Importance of DescentImportance of Descent

Bilateral descent: allows flexibility of Bilateral descent: allows flexibility of kin reckoningkin reckoning

Unilineal descent entails automatic Unilineal descent entails automatic inclusion and exclusion. inclusion and exclusion.

Both form the basis of economic Both form the basis of economic rights and obligationsrights and obligations

Political affiliationPolitical affiliation Even ancestral worshipEven ancestral worship

Coming Up NextComing Up Next

The roots of kinship: sex and genderThe roots of kinship: sex and gender Marriage, its definition and functionsMarriage, its definition and functions Family types arising from marriageFamily types arising from marriage Larger kin units and groupsLarger kin units and groups Marriage as allianceMarriage as alliance Kinship terminology: what it reflectsKinship terminology: what it reflects