Page 21 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Unit 2: Kinship: Basic Terms and Concepts: Lineage, Clan, Phratry, Moiety ...

Writing about all types of unilateral groups Mardock says that totemism is the common char- Notes
acter progemy, sib, moiety etc. When such social groups are needed to be nomenclatured then
name of animals fulfulls its need throughly. Any other reasons can be given for this type of rela-
tion, but real experience tells that where there is lineage-organisation, the relation of totemism
is fond, Gardan has written about the lineage exogamy of Khasis but there is popularity of
totemism or not, he never said about this.
From above example it is proved that totemism and exogamy is related due to this fact only
that both are tied from lineage organisation in common and foetarial term, though both are
independent to one-another.

2.2 Kingroup, Kindred

Kin
Marital or blood relatives are called Kin. Mostly kins belong to different blood family, blood
relations are usually recognised by cultural parameter of. This is the reason for recognising per-
sons kin and others not in relationship categories of.

Collateral Kin

Kins which get seperated from the main group as a branch such as uncles and cousins are called
Collateral Kin. Simply descesents of lineal kins are called collateral kin.

Lineal Kin

Kins which are directly related in succession are called lineal kin. Lineal kins are direct ancestors
and direct descendents of a person, like parents, grandparents, great grand parents and their
children and grand children etc.

Primary Kin
Persons associated on the basis of direct kinship are kept in the category of Primary Kin. Father-
son, father-daughter, mother-daughter, brothers, sisters, brother-sister, husband-wife fall in the
category of primary kin. All of these are blood relatives except husband and wife which are
marital relatives.

Secondary Kin

Primary relatives of primary kins fall under the category of secondary kin, like brother-in-law,
grandfather, maternal uncle, etc. Famous anthropoligist G.P. Mardok mentioned 33 relatives in
this category.

Tertiary Kin
Primary Kins of secondary kins are considered as tertiary kin, like brother-in-law’s wife or
daughter. Acoording to Mardok there are 151 types of tertiary kins.

Kindred
Relatives in a bilateral succession are collectively called as kindred. These descendents can be
from both sides maternal or paternal. Father’s brother-sister and their children as well as moth-
er’s brother-sister and their children are considered as kindred.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 15