Kinship, Descent and Social Organization

1. Kinship, Descent and Social Organization Kinship Systems Descent Social Organization Marriage

2. Kinship system • All blood and marriage relationships that help people distinguish between different categories of kin • Creates rights and obligations between people. • Serves as basis for the formation of certain types of kin groups.

3. Functions of Kinship system • Vertical function-provides social continuity by binding together a number of successive generations. • Horizontal function-ties together people across a single generation through marriage.

4. Descent • Rules a culture uses to establish affiliations with one's parents, an aspect of kinship. • Two types-Unilineal and Cognatic • Unilineal-people trace ancestry through either mother's or father's line, but NOT both. • Cognatic descent-people trace ancestry through both parents lines.

5. Unilineal • People trace ancestry through either mother's or father's line, but NOT both. • About 60% of kinship systems are unilineal. • Generally clear cut and unambiguous social units. • People of same descent group live together, hold joint interests in property.

6. Patrilineal • Trace descent through fathers line, most common unilineal method. • A man, his children, his brother's children and his sons children are all members of the same descent group. • Not his sister's children, because her husband is from a different patrilineage and her children belong to his descent group. • Males and females are related patrilineally. • a father, his son and daughter are all part of same patrilineage. • his daughters children are from a different patrilineage. • i.e daughter goes to live with husband.

7. Patrilineal

8. Matrilineal • Trace descent through mother's line • A woman, her children, her sister's children and her daughter's children are all members of the same descent group. • Not her brother's children. • i.e. son goes to live with wife.

9. Matrilineal

10. Cognatic descent • People trace ancestry through both parents lines. Three types-Double, Ambilineal, Bilateral. • !Kung are Bilateral • Person related equally to both ma's and pa's side of the family. i.e. U.S. to some degree. • Treat relatives on one side just like on other-symmetrical. • aunt applies to pa's sister and ma's sister. • doesn't distinguish which side.

11. Bilateral-e.g. !Kung

12. Literal and Metaphorical Kin • Behavioral correlates-everyone in ego's own generation and in the grandparents generation are joking kin. • Joking-relaxed and affectionate, familiar. • Anyone in ego's parents generation is avoidance kin as are same-sex siblings. • Avoidance-respect, reserve, formal.

13. Naming • Is complicated because first son and daughter gets father's father and father's mother name. • Second get named after mother's parents. • Only 36 names for men and 32 for women. • Anyone with father's name called father, wife's name wife. So man can't marry anyone with mother's or sister's name. • But get around this with age distinctions when they feel it necessary.

14. Lee-naming and adoption • Named /Tonah for a woman’s uncle. • Adopted by N!eishi and //Gumi. • Confusion with kin and name because had “kin” from adoptive family and “kin” from name.

15. Social Organization • Egalitarian Societies-hunter-gatherers, some tribes. • No individual or group has more access to resources, power, or prestige than does any other. • Does not mean all have equal prestige, but equal access. • There are sex and age differences. • Individual differences in skill, can achieve prestige. • No one, low or high esteem, denied right to make living. • No one subject to control by another. • No one subject to exploitation by another. • Prestige gained based on ability. • No ascribed status. • Elderly men have most prestige, act as leaders.

16. !Kung- “Camp” • Core of !Kung social organization. • 10-30 individuals • Bilaterally related group • Related older people “leaders” • “Owners” of a waterhole • i.e. N!eishi and //Koka • Flexible

18. Marriage among !Kung • Arrangement • Search soon after birth • Boy’s mother approaches a girl’s mother • Betrothal sealed with gift-giving (kamasi) • Prohibitions • Incest Taboo • A girl may not marry a father, brother, son, uncle, first or second cousin • Kinship and naming • A girl may not marry a boy with father’s or brother’s name.

19. Case: Tin!ay (15 year old girl) • Kau? • Same name as her father • Bo • Too closely related • Kashe • Same name as her brother • Dam • Too closely related • /Gau • Already betrothed • Tsaa • Married to sister

20. Qualities in son-in-law • Good Hunter • No reputation as a fighter • Congenial family • Check: Groom comes to live with bride’s family for several years and to hunt for them (sometimes for 8-10 years). • After children born, they can move back to his family (patrilocal).

21. Age at Marriage • Traditionally, girls 12-16; boys 18-25 • Sexual consummation would be delayed for several years if girl very young. • After 1970, girls 15-18; boys 22-30

23. Marriage-by-capture • Mock forcible carrying away of the girl from her parents hut to a specially built hut. • Customary, but underscores the tumult often associated with first marriages, because girls have no choice.

24. Number of Partners • Mostly monogamous (93%) • Polygynous (5%) • All 7 polygynous men healers. • Polyandrous (2%)

25. Role of Marriage in Conflict • Marriage creates bond between two families and their camps. • Gift-giving to support each other’s camps. • Some girls married at extremely early age (8-10) to alleviate conflict.

26. Marriage of /Tontah (Lee) • /Xashe wonders why /Tontah no married. • Decides to betrothe him to her daughter, //Toka. • //Toka is 4 years old. • /Tontah argues that he must check with his parents first!

27. Sexuality • Begins at very young age. • Most have experienced sex before age 15. • Very open. • Marital infidelity rare, but does occur. • At one site, out of 50 couples-16 of those had one or both partners having affair.