CULTURAL,
SOCIAL AND
POLITICAL
INSTITUTIONS
Kinship, Marriage, and Household
KINSHIP
Kinship is a social institution that refers to relations
formed between members of society.
Societies develop kin relationships in different ways.
I can be based on birth or blood relations, marriage,
or through acceptance of rituals.
TYPES OF KINSHIP
Kinship by Blood
•Kinship by Marriage
•Kinship by Rituals
KINSHIP BY BLOOD
Consanguineal Kinship
Achieved by birth or blood affinity
Terms like descent and lineage are associated with it. Descent means biological relationship. Lineage
on the other hand is the line where one’s descent is traced.
• Patrilineal Form of Descent
• Kinship is traced through his or her father’s line of descent
• Matrilineal Form of Descent
• Kinship is traced through mother’s line of descent
• Patrilineal and Matrilineal Forms of Descent are Forms of UNILINEAL Descent
• BILATERAL Descent on the other hand traces both father and mother’s line of
descent
KINSHIP BY
MARRIAGE
Marriage
- A socially recognized union or legal contract between spouses that establishes rights and
obligations between them.
Affinal Kinship
Refers to type of relations developed when marriage occurs
Endogamy
Social rule which states that a partner must be selected from one’s own social group.
Exogamy
- A marriage custom where an individual is required to marry outside of their own group.
KINSHIP BY
MARRIAGE
Monogamy
Comes from the Greek words “Monos” and “Gamos” meaning ”One
union.”
It refers to the marriage practice where an individual only has one mate.
Polygamy
Refers to the practice of having more than one partner or sexual mate.
It can either be Polygyny (Man has multiple female partners) or Polyandry
(Woman has multiple male partners).
KINSHIP BY MARRIAGE
Post-marital Residency Rules (Traditional)
o Patrilocal Rule of Residence
- Married couples stay in the house of husband’s relatives or near husband’s kin
o Matrilocal Rule of Residence
- Married couples stay in the house of wife’s relatives or near wife’s kin
o Bilocal Residence
- Married couples live alternatively between husband’s and wife’s kin
o Neolocal Residence (Modern)
- Married couples live independently from their kin.
KINSHIP BY MARRIAGE
Referred and Arranged Marriages
In these kinds of marriages partners are either “referred” a partner by family or friends, or they are
”arranged” to marry a partner usually by parents or group leaders.
o Child Marriage
- Happens when parents arrange the marriage of their child long before the marriage takes place.
o Exchange Marriage
- There is a reciprocal exchange of spouses between two countries, tribes, or group.
o Diplomatic Marriage
- A form of arranged marriage where two political or royal families wed their kin in order to forge
political or diplomatic alliances.
o Modern Arranged Marriage
- Same as child marriage but with consent of each child and there would be options for them to select.
Each child in the selection would then be given time to know each other. After this the child can choose
who among the selection he wants to marry.
KINSHIP BY RITUALS
Compadrazgo (Godparenthood)
A ritualized form of forging co-parenthood or family
Originated in medieval Catholic church in Europe.
Kinship happens via rituals like Baptism, confirmation and marriage.
In the Philippines we usually go with terms like Kumpadre, Kumare,
Ninong, Ninang and Inaanak.
THE FAMILY AND THE HOUSEHOLD
Family is considered as the basic unit of social
organization
George Murdock, Talcott Parson, Kingsley Davis
and Bronislaw Malinowski gives their own
definition of what a family is.
Sociologist and Anthropologists Definition of Family
George Peter Murdock Family is a social group with the following characteristics:
a. Share common Residence
b. Presence of Economic cooperation
c. Reproduce offspring
d. Includes adults of both sexes wherein at least two uphold a socially
approved form of sexual relationship
e. Responsible for the socialization of infants and children
Kingsley Davis A group of individuals wherein the relationship is based on consanguinity and
kinship
Talcott Parsons Family is a factory that develops and produces human personality
Bronislaw Malinowski Family is an institution that passes down the cultural traditions of a society to the
next generation
Theoretical Perspective Assumptions about Family
Structural Functionalism Family is important because it performs different roles for
Theory society
1. Agent of Socialization
2. Provides emotional and practical support for family
members
3. Controls sexual activity and sexual reproduction
4. Provides family members with social identity
Conflict Theory Family is a cause of social inequality because it
strengthens economic inequality and allows the continuity
of patriarchy.
Symbolic Interactionist The family members interaction can produce a shared
Theory understanding of their situation
NUCLEAR FAMILY AND EXTENDED FAMILY
Nuclear family/ Conjugal Family is made up of a group of people who are
united by social ties.
Usually made up of two adults and their socially recognized children.
Usually made of of married couples and their children
Extended Family on the other hand refers to members which extend beyond
the nuclear Family
BLENDED OR RECONSTITUTED FAMILIES
A blended family is a type of
family where parents have a
child or children from
previous marital relationship
but all the members stay and
congregate to form a new
family unit.
