Lauren Christiansen

FHS 2400 Period 4

1B: KINSHIP: What are the different kinship roles - such as nephew, aunt or uncle, in-law,
grandson or granddaughter - that you play as a result of being a member of your extended
family? What rights and obligations does each of these roles entail in your family? Do you have
any fictive kin? How did they become "like family"?
When in a family you are given a certain title or roll to play. You may have many rolls or
just a couple but there is always a roll for you to play whether it is an aunt/ uncle, brother/sister,
nephew/niece, daughter/son, mom/dad or something else. We all play a part in a family, and each
of these rolls have certain rights and obligations. For example in my extended family I am a
niece, cousin, and a granddaughter.
As a niece some of my rights are getting to know my aunts and spending time with them.
Another right is always having someone there for you if you are having a bad day. Some of the
obligations are keeping in contact with them while I am away or during long periods of time
without seeing them, and being there for them as well. Having these rights and obligations allow
us to have a closer bond then we would have if we ignored them.
Being a cousin in my family you have many obligations like watching their kids, always
being there for them when they have a bad day and cheering them up, remembering things about
their life that they told you, and giving advice on their day to day problems. The right you get
from this is having not only a cousin but a friend who will do the same for you.
As a granddaughter I dont have very many obligations because I know she will never
leave me, and that she will always love me. She doesnt require anything to be my friend she just
wants me to be happy and to do well. Though she does not require anything I try to help her as
much as possible though it will not compare to what she does for me. The rights are that she is

always there for me no matter what, she will always love me, and I will always have a friend no
matter what I do or how bad I screw up.
Though I have many blood relatives I also have two fictive kin. They both became like
family by earning my complete trust and being there for me through thick and thin. Clara my
sisters best friend became like family to me when I began depend on her and learned I could
trust her with anything. My other fictive kin is my best friend Ryan. He became like family when
I began to trust and relay on him. My family also has many affiliated kin or unrelated
individuals who feel and are treated as if they were relatives (Strong & Cohen, 2014, p. 10)
such as my parents best friends who have been there since I was a child. There are many rights
and obligations as a family member or fictive kin that allow you to really be apart and grow close
to your family.

Work Cited:
Strong, B, & Cohen, T. F. (2014). The marriage and family experience: Intimate relationships in
a changing society (12th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.