FAMILY, PART II

Alex K.Ruuska, PhD

NMU
Lecture 32

Key Concepts Review

Especially in non-industrialized
societies, KINSHIP, DESCENT,
and MARRIAGE are the basic
social building blocks

FAMILIES based on BLOOD,

MARRIAGE, or CHOICE

HOUSEHOLDS based on
propinquity (nearness in space
& time; near or close kinship)

KINSHIP IS SOCIALLY
CONSTRUCTED

Amazon River
People

II. Extended Family

a family which extends beyond the nuclear family
to include relatives living close by (AskOxford.com)
Consists of 3 or more generations

Dont have to live together, but may

a family that includes in one household near
relatives in addition to a nuclear family
Which relationships are most critical depends on culture

Extended family household

newly married couple moves in with either

the bride or groom's family

multiple reproducing pairs and their

children
parents of the married couples

found in horticultural and pastoral societies;

modified form in agricultural societies

Extended family household

~20 people all living and working together

as a unit to provide subsistence for that
household.

Advantages: responsibilities can be

distributed among members

no one individual is responsible for all duties

Zadruga

The ZADRUGA

Extended family household of the western Bosnia

Large family structure; ~70-100 people living

together

Headed by male household head and his wife

Includes married sons and their wives and

children, and unmarried sons and daughters

Each nuclear family: has a sleeping room

Possessions shared by the Zadruga

Muslims of Western Bosnia

Patrilineal, Patrilocal, Patriarchal

Patrilineal: Lineage traced through

fathers line only

Patrilocal: Each couple resides in the

husbands fathers household after marriage

Patriarchal: head male makes major

decisions for the entire group

Zadruga

Strengths of this family model?

Potential weaknesses?

How would the role of an individual

compare and contrast in an nuclear
family versus an extended family such as
the Zadruga?

Industrialism and Family

Organization

Many modern nations are characterized by

geographic mobility

Industrialism is often associated with the

nuclear family

Neolocality: Married couples move to where

their jobs are

Nuclear Family

Industrial societies

Foraging societies

Foraging societies: household is NOT the

economic unit of production; 40-60 members

Industrial societies: IS household the independent

unit of production?

Nuclear Family

parents and their young children (up to the

time of adulthood)

living as an independent group in a dwelling

separated from the rest of their kin.

Dominant Family
Key Concepts Review
Structures

Nuclear Family: a couple

and their dependent
children, regarded as a
basic social unit
1st- Family of Origin
(FAMILY of ORIENTATION)
(Parents, Siblings)
2nd- Family that you marry
into (FAMILY of
PROCREATION) (Spouse,
Children)
3rd- Reconstituted
Families, through death
or divorce

Key Concepts Review

Extended Family
e.g. Zadruga and
Nayar
Patrilocal (esp.
Pastoralism)
Matrilocal (esp.
horticultural
societies)
Neolocal
Patrilineal
Matrilineal

Industrialism and Family

Organization

Many modern nations

are characterized by
geographic mobility

Industrialism is often
associated with the
nuclear family

Neolocality: Married
couples move to
where their jobs are

Importance of Family
Structures to
Anthropological
Research

The Family as a Core Social Unit

UNIVERSAL PHENOMENON

TAKES DIFFERENT SHAPES

ADAPTIVE STRATEGY

FAMILY TYPE OFTEN VARIES WITH ADAPTIVE

STRATEGY- E.G. for Foraging, Agriculture,
etc.

1. Family Provides a

Socially Approved Sexual

and Reproductive
Relationship.
Marriage
Allowable Marriage
Partner
When sexual
relationships are
possible
Social sanctions for
violating rules
Bari, South America,
pregnant women have
sex with multiple
partners

2. Family Provides
Basic Education
and Care for
Offspring.

Enculturation
Romania: first 7 years,
teach morals and values
Idea that parents are
responsible
At what point are people
held accountable for
their own actions in this
country?

3. Family Helps
Establish the
Individuals Social
Identity

Stigma is attached to
having children outside
of wedlock in some
societies
Kin-based societies

Access to power, status,

and resources
E.g. land and livelihood:
horticultural and pastoral

4. Family Creates the

Most Fundamental
Economic Unit of
Production
Each person has a specific
role
Wife, Husband , Children

KINSHI
P

Similar to
family

More
formalized

Deals with
larger social
system than
the household

Anthropology of Kinship

Developed first by
Lewis Henry
Morgan

Book: Systems of
Consanguinity and
Affinity of the
Human Family
(1871).
Popular Science
Monthly/Volume 18/November
1880/Sketch of Lewis H

Henry Morgans
Contribution

Discovery of
the difference
between
descriptive and
classificatory
kinship

Classificatory Kinship:

put people into society-wide kinship classes on the

basis of abstract relationship rules.

Kinship Terminology
Kin Group

Residence Rule

Economy

Nuclear family

Neolocal

Industrialism, foraging,
Eskimo

Unilineal descent group

patrilineal or matrilineal

Patrilocal or matrilocal

Horticulture, pastoralism,
agriculture (Iroquois)

Ambilineal descent group,

band

Ambilocal

Agriculture, horticulture, foraging,

Hawaian

Varies

Varies

Varies

Functions of Kinship

1.Kinship (more than family) helps to

regulate access to property.

Functions of Kinship- Ceremony

2. kinship and
kin rules
determine
who does
what in
ceremonial
functions.

Family roles in
Wedding?
Rites of
Passage?

Kinship Functions- Regulate

Labor

3. kinship
helps regulate
labor. (e.g.
Barn Building,
Horticulture,
Agriculture,
Pastoralism)

Functions of Kinship-Leadership

4. regulate access
to leadership
positions

This is especially
true for kin based
(as opposed to
class based)

Advantages?
Disadvantages?

Descent Groups

kin groups for which membership is

ascribed based on your being a descendent
of a particular real or mythical ancestor.

who you trace your descent through

The different types of descent groups can

be grouped into two general categories.

Different types of descent

groups

1. UNILINEAL
2. BILATERAL

1. UNILINEAL: descent systems found in food

producing societies such as horticultural, pastoral and
agricultural societies

KEY: importance of land

Descent groups tend to regulate access to land,

something very important to maintaining survival.

Different types of descent

groups

BILATERAL DESCENT

Found in Foraging and Industrial Societies

E.g. United States and Europe

Bilateral Descent
Relative of
mother and
father equally
important

West Africa,
India, Australia,
Melanesia,
Polynesia

Adapt to extreme
environments

The Himba of Namibia live under a tribal

structure based on bilateral descent.

BILATERAL DESCENT
Count everyone related by blood or
adoption

Consider difference between family and kinship

Kinship is an ascribed status- its forever; family may change through
divorce

PATRILINEAL DESCENT
Children part of fathers lineage

Zadruga

Patrilineal Descent
Controversy

According to Jewish law (halakhah), "Your son by

an Israelite woman is called your son, but your
son by a heathen woman is not called your son"
(Kid. 68b). Thus, a child who is born of a Jewish
mother is considered Jewish irrespective of the
religion of the child's father or of the child's level
of Jewish observance or knowledge. However, the
child born of a Jewish father and a non-Jewish
mother, regardless of his Jewish practice or
knowledge, is not recognized as a Jew
Reconstructionist movements.
http://www.answers.com/topic/patrilineal-descent-controversy

MATRILINEAL DESCENT
Children of both sexes member of
mothers descent group; not
fathers

Matrilineal Descent among the

Asante, Ghana

http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/L10704498.jpg

AMBILINEAL DESCENT

Kinship

Loyalties in
nonindustrial societies
vs. industrial societies

Loyalty measures, e.g.

Confucius

Family, Community,
Region, Nation

Comments & Questions