Page 137 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Unit 19: The Geneological Method

There are other kinds of groups which consider kinship as the basis of unity. They are different Notes
from secondary groups because they totally reject party. They are called Uni Party-group.

Lineage

The simplest example of one party group is which includes all the possible kin of a single lineage.
The lineage consists of the descendants of one lineage only, whether they are paternal Descends
or maternal descends. They know their kin by birth and understand their responsibilities
towards each other. Thus, lineages are small local and more active.

Sib

When an ordinary one party group called get so enlarged that all the groups, linked to each
other on the basis of a general descent, joint it, it is called a sib or gotra. In this way, sib is formed
by the assimilation of some lineage. The birth of their ancestors may be linked to imaginary
ancestors, who resembled human beings or animals, plants or non-living things. The Hindu sib,
Gome, is an example.
It can be clearly stated that the term Sib is extensive, geographically spread and used for an
almost inactive Uni-party group.
Sib is usually linked by a general totemic name. A sib is customarily prohibited to consume
meat of animals with totom. Such stories are usually heard that Sib members are descendants of
totomic species general ancestor.

Fraternity
When the group of Sib, come very close to each other, then it is called sib of fraternity. Some-
times a sib gets so enlarged that it breaks and separates (without distancing itself from the kin-
ship of the previous sib. Such examples of assimilation or separation can be found in the Oraon
and Munda tribes.
If all the tribes of a sib are divided into two fraternities, then such a social structure is called
double groups, which is the half of every fraternity.

Expansion-region of Kinship
Based on the number of people, a kinship group is called broadly, expanded region or narrowly-
expanded region. The modern kinship system is the narrowly-expanded region, whereas the
earlier one was the tribal or Sib, vast region system.
The number of people associated with it are scattered in such an extensive area, that it is not pos-
sible to identify their common kinships without bringing in some imaginary ancestor.

Kinship Behaviour

The kinship system has two vital roles. Firstly, it forms specific groups of kinships. In this
way, with the social recognition of marriage, every mother has a specific husband, because of
which the father’s children relate to the mother too. By this, specific groups of mother, father
and children are formed, which we call a family. With additional rules and social customs,
extensive kinship groups are formed, like an extended family or lineage or gotra or tribe.
The kinship behaviour has another specific role. That is to discipline the roles of kinship.
Kinship, in a way, sets up a social ‘grid’. In any society, people are in contact with each-
other through kinship by birth or by being a member of the equal kinship group. People of
these social groups interact with each other because of kinship. It defines the acceptable

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