Page 138 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Sociology of Kinship

Notes roles of kinship and relations such as father and daughter, brother and sister, young
son-in-law and mother-in-law etc. Thus the social life is regularised by kinship.
As a regulator of social life, the importance of kinship is based on three factors:
(i) Its role is limited to cognate relations only. If the people or one lineage are spread far
and wide, the role of kinship gets limited.
(ii) The level of development of the standard kinship behaviour. In some people, the social
relations are very standardized. In some societies, there is no specific pattern of kin-
ship, so there is a possibility of too much individualistic behaviour.
(iii) Level of alternate development to specify people’s roles.
(iv) In urban areas, our behaviour does not get affected by the kinship rules because we
are usually don’t get intimate with kin. This situation is totally different from a simple
peasants village-because there, every individual is linked to every other individual of
the community. As a result, whatever an individual does, he does so in the presence of
his lineage. In a very small society, where there is little or no possibility of geographical
activity, it is the kinship behaviour which regularizes special behaviour.
The standard kinship behaviour can be divided into two categories:
1. Rules specifying rights and responsibilities.
2. Rules related to behaviour.

Rules Specifying Rights and Responsibilities:
These rules come into force when the kin are linked with other kinds of services duties or spe-
cific rights. For example, there is an emotion of general hospitality between kins. If a kin wishes
to go to other place, he expects free food, place to sleep, and other kinds of hospitality symbols,
as his right. This expectations and demands seem to be valid because he is a kins. The rules of
inheritance provide other examples. These rules can specify that the deceased person’s property
shall either be divided between his wife or eldest son, or younger son, or his children. Lineage
use has other examples, like. Parents bringing up children, taking care of their needs, preparing
them for life, and in a society like India, accumulating dowry for daughters. The responsibilities
between man and woman are divided on the basis of the prevalent kinship behaviour. In some
societies, these rights and responsibilities are equally divided and they are inter-linked. In some
they are totally unacceptable. One party is the giver and the other is the receiver; One has the
rights and the other has responsibilities. In our country, such factors determine the relations
between man-woman, father-mother and children. On the basis of the traditions prevalent in
the Indian society since a long period, a husband cannot be expected to lend a helping hand in
household chores. On the other hand, a wife is expected to exhibit supreme competence and
serve her husband. In the same manner, when an Indian child attains workable age, he is ex-
pected to fulfil all his responsibilities in an efficient manner, until the demise of his parents.

19.2 Methods of Marriage Found among Different Ethnic Communities

Vestor Mark has described the various processes of wedding rituals, prevalent in different
communities of the world. Here, we do not have any documents related to marriage, which could
codify these rituals. Yet C.S.W.I. (1974) committee has taken a small initiative. This committee
tells us that in different communities, different rituals of wedding are performed. The greatest
common factor amongst them is the presence of a priest. The priest could be a pastor, maulvi
or Brahman. The priest is the chairperson of the wedding rituals. All the rituals are based on
religious methods. Here, we will discuss about he various rituals related to marriage, which are
prevalent among the various groups of the country. But rituals are just for the sake of them. In
the background of these rituals, there are rules of marriage. It is important for every ethnic group
to follow them. The validity of marriage dissolves itself, in case they are not followed. Another

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