ANT207H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Patrilineality, Kinship, Stepfamily
Professor Tanya Li Oct. 6, 2016
ANT207 LECTURE 4
KINSHIP
SOCIETY
• social structure = matrix of duties, rights, division of labour, norms, social control
KINSHIP
• as a way to organize sex, reproduction, inheritance
• as social structure who you can count on for what
• as process (re)produced through action
MARRIAGE
• Forms alliances between groups
• Defines households, residence, who lives where
• Transfers rights over woman, children
ALLIANCES
• INCEST taboo where to find marriage partners?
• EXOGOMY = marry outside group
• ENDOGOMY = marry inside group
HOUSEHOLD FORMATION
• CONJUGAL live together
• NON-CONJUGAL live separately, don’t set up joint household
• PATRILOCAL towards man’s side, MATRILOCAL towards woman’s side,
NEOLOCAL set up household on their own
• NUCLEAR (MONAGAMOUS, NEOLOCAL) OUR SOCIETY
• MONOGAMOUS one partner/POLYGAMOUS many partners
• POLYGYNOUS many women/several wives, POLYANDROUS one woman with
many men
• EXTENDED grandparents, etc. (extended vertically)
• JOINT extended horizontally (Ex. three brothers and their wives)
• BLENDED mixed through marriage (Ex. stepparents)
• FAMILY BY CHOICE family that is chosen (Ex. roommates)
WHY DESCENT MATTERS
• Group Membership
• Spiritual, ritual, afterlife
• Political Loyalties who is on your side?
• Inheritance of property, rights to land, trade links, etc.
HOW DESCENT CAN FORM GROUPS
• LINEAGE = A descent group composed of CONSANGUINS (SHARED BLOOD)
people who believe they descend from known ancestors
• Patrilineal descent groups
- Descent is through the father’s line
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Society: social structure = matrix of duties, rights, division of labour, norms, social control. Kinship: as a way to organize sex, reproduction, inheritance, as social structure who you can count on for what, as process (re)produced through action. Marriage: forms alliances between groups, defines households, residence, who lives where, transfers rights over woman, children. Incest taboo where to find marriage partners: exogomy = marry outside group, endogomy = marry inside group. Household formation: conjugal live together, non-conjugal live separately, don"t set up joint household, patrilocal towards man"s side, matrilocal towards woman"s side, Neolocal set up household on their own: nuclear (monagamous, neolocal) our society, monogamous one partner/polygamous many partners, polygynous many women/several wives, polyandrous one woman with many men. Joint extended horizontally (ex. three brothers and their wives: extended grandparents, etc. (extended vertically, blended mixed through marriage (ex. stepparents, family by choice family that is chosen (ex. roommates) Inheritance of property, rights to land, trade links, etc.
