Page 136 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Sociology of Kinship

Notes Paternal Descendant
Maternal Descendant
Bi-Descendant
According the paternal descendant rules, every individual naturally becomes a member of fa-
ther’s cognate kinship group but not that of his mother’s.
According to the maternal descendant rules, every individual naturally becomes a member of
mothers cognate kinship group, but not that of his father’s.
According to the bi-descendant system, an individual is a descendant of some con-
gnate members of father’s descent, not all. Similarly, an individual is a descend-
ant of some cognate members of mother’s descent. In fact, no society is based on
bi-descendant system. Similarly, no society is totally Uni-descending if this term means ignor-
ing one of them (maternal or paternal descent), on the basis of the other. Some individuals are
inked by kinship, on the basis of ancestry. They are called cognates. If their ancestor happens
to be a male, they are called paternal kin. On the other hand, if the ancestor is female, they are
called maternal kin. The kin, who by descent, are linked directly, are called lineal kin. Those
who are extended (e.g.-paternal under, nephew etc.) from the same family are called collateral
kin, but not lineal kin.

Categories of Kinship
Close and distant relationships are categorised as follows:
1. Primary kinship
2. Secondary kinship
3. Tri-kinship
Kins related to the same family are called primary kin. They are eight in number— husband-
wife, father-son, mother-son, father-daughter, younger elder-brother, younger elder-sister and
brother-sister. Secondary kin are our primary kin’s-primary kin’s-primary kin, husband’s broth-
er, sister’s husband, brother’s wife, etc., belong to this category. Flumanologists have recognised
thirty three secondary kin in all.
Our tri-kin are primary kin of our secondary kin. Flumanologists have found 151 tri kins. The
primary kin of tri-kin are called distant kin.
In every society, the rules of descent are significant, because of two reasons:
(i) It provides automatic social status and respect to every individual.
(ii) The individual gains the right to participate in the roles and responsibilities of social status.
The members of the kinship group support and interact with each other. They are also bound by
rights and responsibilities and follow the rules of marriage.
According to the law or the fully established custom, the rules of descent define a few kinds of
inheritance. For instance, ‘right’ which gets established from the time of birth, allows the eldest
son or the youngest son or all the sons and daughters of the deceased to inherit his property. In
the same manner there is inheritance based on marriage too. According to it, after the demise of
the husband, his wife inherits the property.

Secondary Group and Uni-Party Group

Kinship binds the family very strongly. This unity leads to two directions-one towards the base
of the father’s family and the other to the base of the mother’s family. Due to some reason or
the other, stress can be laid on one party only. For example, in the modern system, we reject the
mother’s family name. Not only that, after marriage, women adopt the husband’s family name.
But the family does not deny any of the supportive parties. So, it is called a secondary group.

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