Kinship, Marriage
and Family
Prepared by: Celia V. Cabacang
MNHS SHS
Directions: Identify the relationship of the following
to your family
1) _R_N_N_E_E: She is the grandchild of your
brother or sister .
2) _R_N_U_C_E: He is brother of your
grandparent.
3) G_A_D_E_H_W: He is the grandchild of your
brother or sister.
4) _T_P_A_H_R: He is the husband of your
mother by a subsequent marriage
5) _E_O_D _O_S_N : He/she is your
grandparents' brother's or sister's grandchild.
Kinship
It refers to the culturally defined relationships
between individuals who are commonly thought of
as having family ties.
Types of Kinship:
Kinship by consanguinity refers to human
relationship by blood or common biological links.
Kinship by affinity refers to human relationship
formed by virtue of marriage.
Fictive kinship refers to kin-like relations but not
actually based upon blood or marriage. (e.g.
godparents, adopted children with no legal ties).
Kinship by blood (consanguineal kinship)
Descent: refers to a biological relationship
described in terms of ancestry or descendancy.
o Ancestor: the person from whom you descend
directly (e.g. grandparent or a great-
grandparent)
o Descendant: the person who descends
directly from you, (e.g. grandson or
granddaughter)
Collateral Relations: those relatives who are linked
by a common ancestor (e.g. aunts, uncles, or
cousins)
Principles of Descent (Unilineal and Bilateral)
Kinship is reckoned in a number of different ways around the world,
resulting in a variety of types of descent patterns and kin
groups. Anthropologists use diagrams to illustrate kinship
relationships to make them more understandable.
In kinship diagrams, one individual is usually labeled as ego, the
person to whom all kinship relationships are referred.
In the case below on the right, ego has a brother (Br), sister (Si), father
(Fa), and mother (Mo). Note also that ego is shown as being gender
nonspecific - that is, either male or female.
Unilineal Descent The red people in the
This traces descent only through a diagram below are related to
single line of ancestors, either from each other patrilineally.
father or mother’s side.
A. Patrilineal Descent
both males and females belong to
their father's kin group but not their
mother's.
However, only males pass on their
family identity to their children.
A woman's children are members of
her husband's patrilineal line.
Unilineal Descent The green people in the
diagram below are related to
B. Matrilineal Descent
each other matrilineally.
form of unilineal descent that
follows a female line;
Using this pattern, individuals are
relatives if they can trace descent
through females to the same
female ancestor.
While both male and female
children are members of their
mother's matrilineal descent group,
only daughters can pass on the
family line to their offspring.
Bilateral Descent
Some societies trace their descent through the study of both parents’
ancestors. This is done through bilateral descent or cognatic descent
principle.
It traces descent from all biological ancestors regardless of their
gender and side of the family.
All male and female children are members of both their father's and
mother's families.
Degrees of Kinship by Consanguinity and Affinity
Kinship by Marriage Functions of Marriage
Edmund Leach said that marriage
Marriage is an important social
allocates rights:
institution wherein two persons (a
man and a woman) enter into a to establish legal father & mother of
family life. children.
During the process, the partners to give either/both spouses rights to
make a public, official and labor of other.
permanent declaration of their union to give either/both spouses rights
as lifetime couples. over other’s property. •
to establish joint fund of property for
children
to establish socially significant
“relationships of affinity” between
spouses & their relatives.
Marriage Across Cultures
Different societies have different sets of cultural practices and rules
pertaining to marriage:
Marital transactions
endogamy or exogamy marriages
monogamous or polygamous marriages
referred or arranged marriages
with post-marital residency rules
Marital transactions
In societies with descent groups, gifts are
commonly given to either the bride and her kin
or the groom or his kin.
Bridewealth (also called progeny price):
refers to the customary gifts from the
groom and his kin to the bride and her kin.
Dowry: refers to the customary gifts from
the bride and her kin to the groom and his
kin
Endogamy and Exogamy Marriages
Endogamy or compulsory marriage
refers to a marriage custom where an
individual is required by a society’s norms and
rules to marry within their ethnic, social or
religious group.
Exogamy or out-marriage
refers to a marriage custom where an
individual is required by a society’s norms and
rules to marry outside their ethnic, social or
religious group.
Sororate and Levirate
Sororate : A culture that prescribes a
widower to marry one of his deceased
wife’s sisters.
Levirate : A culture that prescribes a
widow to marry one of her deceased
husband’s brothers.
Monogamous and Polygamous Marriages
Monogamous Marriage
Monogamy came from the Greek words monos
and gamos which literally mean “one union”.
It refers to a marriage practice where an
individual has only one male/female partner
Polygamous Marriage
The word poly means “many”. It refers to a marriage
practice of having more than one partner. It can be:
Polygyny: a man has multiple female partners
Polyandry: a woman has multiple male partners
Referred Marriage and Arranged Marriages
Referred Marriages
In our society, finding a partner can be done differently. Some find their
partners through other friends or relatives who act as matchmakers.
Arranged Marriages
In some societies, marriage partners are not referred, but they are
arranged by the parents of the groom and bride. This can be
child marriage
exchange marriage
diplomatic marriage
modern arrange marriage
Child marriage
This happens when parents arrange for the marriage of their child long
before the marriage takes place. The marriage will then be consummated
in the future.
Exchange marriage
In this form of marriage, there is a reciprocal exchange of spouses
between two tribes or groups.
Diplomatic marriage
This form of marriage occurs when an arranged marriage has been
established between two royal or political families to create or to forge
alliances.
Modern arranged marriage
In this form of marriage, the child’s parents, with the consent of the child,
will choose from several possible mates.
Postmarital Residency Rules
neolocal rule of residence: happens when married
couples settle independently from the place of their
relatives
patrilocal rule of residence: happens when
married couples stay in the house of the husband’s
relatives.
matrilocal rule of residence: happens when
married couples stay with the husband’s relatives
and with the wife’s relatives alternately.
Family
and Household
Family is considered as the basic unit of social organization. It is
made of a group of individuals wherein the relationship is based on
kinship.
Household refers to people who dwell under the same roof or home.
It can be:
one-person household: an arrangement in which one person
makes provision for food and other essentials solely for
himself/herself.
multi-person household: a group of two or more persons living
together who share provisions for food and other essentials for
living
Family of Choice and Family of Origin
The term family of choice, also referred to as "chosen family" or
"found family", is common within the LGBT community, veterans,
individuals who have suffered abuse, and those who have no contact
with their biological "parents".
The term family of origin refers to the biological family or that in
which people are raised.
Nuclear Family consists of any of the
following:
a married couple with no children;
a married couple with one or more
unmarried children;
a father with one or more unmarried
children;
a mother with one or more unmarried
children
Extended Family consists of any of the
following:
a nuclear family with a relative or relatives;
two or more nuclear families related to one
another and without other persons not related
to them
two or more nuclear families plus other
person/s related to either one of them;
two or more persons related to one another,
none of whom constitute their nuclear family.
Reconstituted Families:
are also known as blended families;
sociological term for the joining of two
adults via marriage, cohabitation or
partnership who have had their previous
relationships and children from them;
It comprise of any of the following:
stepparent, stepchild/children and
stepsibling/s
Transnational Family
is characterized by the geographical
dispersion of family because of the
migration of one or more of its members
who continue to keep tight relationship
across borders.
Migration: is the movement of person/s from
one country to another to live or to work for a
definite period of time.
Immigration: is the movement from one
country to another for the purpose of
permanent living.
Marriage and Family
Issues in the
Philippine Setting
Marriage refers to a special contract of permanent
union between a man and a woman entered into in
accordance with law for the establishment of
conjugal and family life
- Family Code of the Philippines
Wedding refers to the marriage ceremony with its
accompanying festivities
Age Requirement for Either or Parental/Guardian
Both Parties Roles
18 yrs old and above, but below Parental Consent
21 Marriage counselling
21 yrs old and above, but below Parental Advice
25 Marriage counselling
Places where marriage SHALL be publicly
solemnized:
Chambers of the judge or in open court
Church, chapel, or temple
Office of the consul-general, consul, or vice-
consul
Exceptions:
Marriages performed in articulo mortis or in
remote places.
Where both parties request in writing that
marriage be solemnized at a place designated
by them.
Who may solemnize marriage?
(1) Incumbent member of the Judiciary within
his jurisdiction.
(2) Priest, Rabbi, Imam or Minister of any
Church or Religious Sect. and must be:
Duly authorized by his church or religious
sect
Registered with the civil registrar general
Acting within the limits of the written
authority granted to him by his church or
religious sect.
At least one of the contracting parties
belongs to the solemnizing officer’s church
or religious sect.
(3) Ship Captain or Airplane Chief may solemnize
a marriage in articulo mortis between passengers
or crew members
(4) A Military commander of a unit may solemnize
marriages in articulo mortis between persons
within the zone of military operation.
(5) Consul-general, consul or vice-consul may
solemnize marriages between Filipino citizens
abroad.
(6) Municipal and City Mayors
Question: Is divorce or dissolution of marriage allowed by the
Philippine law?
Answer: No, divorce is not allowed in the Philippines.
However, there are certain instances wherein the divorce
secured abroad by the foreigner-spouse, and even by former
Filipinos, are recognized under Philippine laws. Said matters
should be referred to Judicial Recognition of a Foreign Divorce
Decree.
Annulment , Declaration of Nullity of Marriage and Legal
Separation
Annulment : applies to a marriage that is considered valid,
but there are grounds to nullify it.
Declaration of nullity of marriage : applies to marriages
that are void or invalid from the very beginning.
Legal Separation: refers to a decree that gives the husband
and wife the right to live separately from each other, but they
are not allowed by law to remarry
What are the grounds for Annulment in the Philippines?
1. Absence of Parental Consent
2. Mental Illness or psychological incapacity
3. Fraud
4. The consent of either party was obtained by force, intimidation or
undue influence
5. One or the other party was physically incapable of consummating
the marriage
What are the grounds for declaration of nullity of marriage?
Minority
Lack of authority of solemnizing officer (already discussed)
Absence of marriage license (obtained from the Local Civil Registry)
Bigamous or polygamous marriages (already discussed)
Mistake in identity
Incestuous marriages
Void by reason of public policy
Minority (those contracted by any party below 18 years of age even with the
consent of parents or guardians).
Incestuous marriages (between ascendants and descendants of any degree,
between brothers and sisters, whether of the full or half blood).
Void by reason of public policy: Marriages between
collateral blood relatives whether legitimate or illegitimate, up to the fourth
civil degree;
step-parents and step-children;
parents-in-law and children-in-law;
adopting parent and the adopted child;
surviving spouse of the adopting parent and the adopted child;
surviving spouse of the adopted child and the adopter;
an adopted child and a legitimate child of the adopter;
adopted children of the same adopter;
parties where one, with the intention to marry the other, killed that other
person’s spouse, or his or her own spouse.
Nepotism: favoritism as in appointment to a job based on kinship (as
defined in Merriam Webster Dictionary)
According to Republic Act 2260 entitled “An Act to Amend and Revise
the Laws Relative to Philippine Civil Service, nepotism is prohibited in
the Philippines.
The same law defines the word "relative" and members of the family
referred as those related within the third degree either of consanguinity
or affinity.
The following are exempted from the operation or the rules on nepotism:
(1) person employed in a confidential capacity
(2) teachers
(3) physicians
(4) members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Nepotism is also not applicable to the case of a member of any family
who, after his or her appointment to any position in an offices or bureau,
contracts marriage with someone in the same office or bureau, in which
event the employment or retention therein of both husband and wife
may be allowed.
Political dynasties refer to families whose members are involved in
politics.
Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that “The
State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service
and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.
On the contrary, no law has been passed yet to support such provision
nor any action has been made regarding the prohibition of political
dynasties.
Activity:
Directions: Write true if the statement is correct. If the statement
is incorrect, encircle what makes it wrong and write the correct
answer on the blank.
1) Local governors are authorized to solemnize marriage
within their jurisdictions. ___________
2) Bribery refers to the customary gifts from the bride and her
kin to the groom and his kin. ________
3) Extended families are also known as blended families. ____
4) Family reunion refers to the biological family or that in which
people are raised. _______________
5) Patrilocal rule of residence happens when married couples
settle independently from the place of their relatives. _____
6) Monogamy refers to a marriage practice where an individual has
only one male/female partner. __________________
7) Your great grandparents are considered as your family’s
descendants. __________
8) Peer group refers to people who dwell under the same roof or
home. ______________
9) Fraud is a ground for declaration of nullity of marriage. _______
10) A marriage license can be obtained at the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA). _________
Application:
Write an essay or attach a magazine article that explains how the
different types of families (nuclear, extended or blended) and forms of
kinship (consanguineal, by marriage and fictive) are present in the
Filipino families today.
Evaluation
A. Differentiate the following:
1) ancestor and descendant
2) monogamy and polygamy
3) endogamy and exogamy
4) bridewealth and dowry
5) family and household
6) family of choice and family of origin
7) patrilineal and matrilineal descent
8) annulment and declaration of nullity of marriage
9) migration and immigration
10) marriage and wedding
B. Answer the following questions
1) How does society develop social relations and
kinship?
2) What is an incestuous marriage?
3) In the Philippine setting, what are the marriages
that are void by reason of public policy?
Assignment / Reflection
Essay: What is your own perspective about the
ideal age of getting married and starting a family
life?
