Overview
This lecture explores the diversity of family and marriage systems across cultures, examining kinship, descent, parental roles, marriage patterns, and how these adapt to economic and social factors.
The Variety of Families and Kinship
- Families fulfill basic human needs but differ widely in structure and roles across cultures.
- Kinship refers to culturally recognized ties through blood (consanguineal), marriage (affinal), or adoption.
- Chosen kin, such as adoptive parents, can be fully recognized as family.
Kinship Systems and Descent
- Patrilineal descent traces lineage through the father's line; matrilineal through the mother's.
- Bilateral descent includes relatives from both parents' sides, as seen in the U.S.
- Descent influences identity, inheritance, and marriage choices.
Family Structures and Types
- Nuclear family: parents (married or single) and their dependent children.
- Extended family: three or more generations sharing a household.
- Joint family: large, multi-generational families, common where property is collectively held.
- Polygamous families: involve plural marriages, including polygyny (one man, multiple wives) and polyandry (one woman, multiple husbands).
Marriage Patterns and Residence
- Endogamy means marrying within one’s group; exogamy means marrying outside.
- Arranged marriages remain common in many societies; love matches are increasing globally.
- Residence patterns include neolocal, patrilocal, matrilocal, avunculocal, and ambilocal.
Exchange at Marriage
- Dowry: property given by bride’s family to groom’s family; common where women have lower status.
- Bridewealth: valuables from groom’s family to bride’s, often reflecting women’s value in labor and fertility.
Inheritance and Family Change
- Property often passes through patrilineal lines, but variations exist, such as maternal uncle to nephew.
- Family and marital norms adapt in response to social, economic, and ideological change.
Non-Traditional Families and Adoption
- Same-sex marriage is increasingly legalized; many cultures historically accepted third-gender roles.
- Adoption can reinforce family ties or serve practical and social functions, varying widely by culture.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Kinship — culturally recognized family ties and their roles.
- Descent groups — kin groups providing identity/support via ancestry.
- Patrilineal/Matrilineal descent — tracing lineage through father/mother.
- Nuclear family — parents and dependent children.
- Extended family — three generations in one household.
- Polygamous — families with multiple spouses.
- Dowry/Bridewealth — property exchanges at marriage.
- Neolocal/Patrilocal/Matrilocal — where couples live after marriage.
- Adoption — non-biological legal/social family formation.
- Endogamy/Exogamy — rules for marrying within/outside the group.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review lecture discussion questions and reflect on family patterns in your own community.
- Read assigned textbook sections on kinship diagrams and marriage exchanges.
- Prepare kinship diagrams for your own family as practice for understanding descent systems.