Kinship, Marriage, and the Household

Every society has formed social institutions to meet all their basic needs. One of these is the
institution of the family. The family is the basic unit of society. The structure of the family may
differ from one society to the other. It may change from one culture to the other as well.

As we grow older (adult), our social group will expand. We will meet new faces/people in our
neighbourhood, in the community, at work, in social organizations, in social media, etc. By this,
we begin to relate ourselves to the opposite sex by way of having boy-girl relationship. And in
the right time, from there, we will be able to establish a society through a family.

KINSHIP AND DESCENT

Kinship is a social institution that refers to relations formed between members of the society.

Descent refers to the origin or background of a person in terms of family or nationality. It is a

biological relationship.

Principles of Descent

Unilineal descent usually traced through a single line of ancestors either from the patrilineal or
matrilineal descent but not both.

Patrilineal descent affiliates a person with a group of relatives through his or her father.

Matrilineal descent, affiliates a person with a group of relatives through his or her mother.

Bilateral descent, affiliates a person with a group of relatives through either his or her parents.
Kinship is traced through both ancestral lines of the mother and the father.

TYPES OF KINSHIP

Consanguineal kinship or kinship based on blood is considered as the most basic and general
form of relations. The relationship is achieved by birth or blood affinity. It is commonly called
as relatives by blood.

Examples are the relationship or connection between parents and their children, between
siblings, between nephews/nieces and aunts/uncles.
Affinal kinship or kinship- based on marriage refers to the
type of relations developed when a marriage occurs. The
husband forms new relations with his wife and her family
likewise the wife forms new relations with his husband and his
family.

The Family Code of the Philippines defines marriage as

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. Marriage is an
important social institution wherein two persons, a man and a woman, enter into family life.

MARRIAGE ACROSS CULTURES

Endogamy and Exogamy

 Endogamy or compulsory marriage, it refers to marriage within their own clan or ethnic
group.

 Exogamy or out-marriage, it refers to marriage outside their own clan or ethnic group.

Monogamy and Polygamy

 Monogamy refers to a marriage where an individual has only one spouse at a time.

 Polygamy refers to a marriage of having more than one spouse at a time. It can be
polygyny, the marriage of one man having multiple female partners at the same time
or polyandry is the marriage of one woman having multiple male partners at the same
time.

REFERRED MARRIAGE AND ARRANGE MARRIAGES

 Referred marriage happens when someone finds his/her partner through friends,
relatives or people who act as matchmakers. These matchmakers help their single
friends to find husband or wife by referring them to other single friends who are also
interested in finding a life partner.

 Arranged marriage is usually called fixed marriage. It happens when marriage is

decided by the parents of the groom and bride. In this kind of marriage, the groom and
bride are usually chosen by parents, community leaders, or religious officials to ensure
that the young people are guided through the process of finding the right person to
marry.

TYPES OF ARRANGED MARRIAGES

Child marriage. The parents of a small child arrange a future marriage with another child's
parents. The children are betrothed to each other.

Exchange Marriage. This form of marriage involves a reciprocal exchange of spouses between
two nations, groups, or tribes.

Diplomatic Marriage: Marriages are arranged for political reasons, to cement alliances
between royal families. The monarchs of Europe were all related by blood due to frequent
ambassadorial marriages. This form of marriage occurs when an arranged marriage has been
established between two royal or political families in order to forge political or diplomatic
alliances.

Modern arranged marriage: The parents choose several possible mates for the child,
sometimes with the help of the child (who may indicate which photos he or she likes, for
example). The parents will then arrange a meeting with the family of the prospective mate,
and the two children will often have a short unsupervised meeting, such as an hour-long walk
around the neighborhood. The child then chooses who they wish to marry (if anyone),
although parents may exert varying degrees of pressure on the child to make a choice.

POST MARITAL RESIDENCY RULES (BASED ON RESIDENCE)

Patrilocal residence occurs when the married couple stays with or near the husband’s kin or
relatives.

Matrilocal residence occurs when the married couple stays with or near the wife’s kin or
relatives

Biolocal residence happens when the couple stays with the husband’s kin or the wife’s kin
alternately.

Neolocal residence happens when the couple stays or build a home independently from the
husband or wife’s families.

Avuncolocal residence occurs when the couple resides with or near the maternal uncle of the
groom.

KINSHIP BY RITUAL

Compadrazgo, literally translated as “godparent”. This can be done through the performance
of Catholic rituals like baptism, confirmation, and marriage. This “compadrazgo” becomes the
spiritual parents of the child or as co-parents to the child who is referred to as the godson or
goddaughter.

FAMILY AND THE HOUSEHOLD

The family is considered the basic unit of social organization. It is made up of a group of
individuals who are linked together by marriage, blood relations, or adoption.
 A nuclear family is a type of family that is made up of a married couple (parents) and
their biological or adopted children.

An extended family is made of two or more nuclear families in a household. Some of the
relatives are living with the nuclear family. It is an expanded household composed of three or
more generations. It may include great grandparents, grandparents, the parents, the children
and other relatives.

A blended family is a type of family where both the parents (father and mother) have children
from previous marital relationships but all the members stay in one household to form a new
family. This is also called a step family, a reconstituted family, or a complex family.

Conditionally separated family is a type of family where a member is separated from the rest
of the family due to employment, military service, sickness, etc.

Transnational family is a type of a family who lives in more than one country. They may spend
part of each year from one state to the other. This is caused due to employment or military
service of parents.

KINSHIP OF POLITICS: POLITICAL DYNASTIES AND ALLIANCES

In the Philippines, political dynasties refer to family members who are involved in politics for
several generations. Most politicians elected in public offices and government positions are
relatives.

Political alliances. Political parties tend to align or agree to cooperate to each other for
common political agenda; to ensure victory in the elections or guarantee the passage of
legislation.
 Political Organizations

Bands and tribes are considered as the simplest political systems. These groups are often
perceived without a well-defined system of leadership.

A band is usually small, formed by several

families living together; oftentimes moving from one
place to the other to search for food. Bands are
egalitarian, meaning, all families are equal. There is
no class differentiation based on wealth;
however, status differences based on gender and
age is well-defined. There is no formal leadership,
instead, those who possess exceptional skills and
knowledge can be raised to become informal
leader.

As the population of bands increases, the

tendency of conflict also increases. The conflict
leads to “band fissioning” or band splitting.
Image: https://bit.ly/3cJITvz
Some leave the band to form their group (social
velocity). The band who survives fissioning and social velocity eventually becomes a tribe.

A tribe is more complex and bigger than a band. As the population increases, there
is a shifting from a basic form of livelihood to a multiple way of living. Tribe is organized
through pan-tribal associations in the form of councils, tribal leaders, elders, etc. due to
the presence of various communities in a tribe. Tribes are commonly headed by a village
headman who perform leadership roles but has limited political power. Most tribes remain
egalitarian.

A chiefdom has a more defined political organization. Chiefdoms have more or less
permanent, full time leader with real authority to make key decisions. These leaders are
referred to as the “chief”. Formal leadership exists and power rests solely on the members
of a select family. It is composed of a number of communities that is ruled by a permanent
paramount chief coming from this elite family. Power is inherited. Chiefdom can either be
simple chiefdom or complex chiefdom. Simple chiefdom is characterized by a single
village or community rules by a single-family. A complex chiefdom is composed of several
simple chiefdoms ruled by a paramount chief residing in a single paramount center.

State and Nations

The advent of modernity has made the process of consolidating different

individuals into one political community more difficult and complicated. Out of the
breakdown of political organizations, what emerged was the presence of groups of
people that shared a common history, language, traditions, customs, habits, and
ethnicity. These groups are collectively referred to as nations.
 On the other hand, a state is a political unit consisting of a government that has
sovereignty presiding over a group of people and a well-defined territory and has the
highest form of political organization.

Political Legitimacy and Authority

The task of organizing a political community requires the existence of leaders. In

order to be effective, leaders need to possess authority that is considered legitimate by
the community.

Authority and Legitimacy

Authority is the right to command. Authority is observed when an individual has a

command to make a person do things. Such act is a response to that person’s perceived
power. This person can be your boss, your superiors, or those who hold high positions in the
society. For example, public officials are elected by the people and granted with the
rights to regulate and exercise administrative functions based on the existing laws of the
land.

Authority is more than power. Authority is guaranteed by legitimacy in a formal manner.

What makes authority binding and worthy of obedience is its legitimacy. Legitimacy gives form
to authority. Legitimacy is a “value whereby something or someone is recognized and
accepted as right and proper. For authority to be binding and stable, it must be legitimate.

WEBER’S THREE (3) TYPES OF AUTHORITY

According to the sociologist Max Weber, there is a category as to how authority is

legitimated as a belief system. These are traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational.

Traditional Charismatic Legal-rational

(bureaucratic)
Source of Legitimized from Legitimized from It is legitimized from
Power well-established the charisma of the formal rules
customs, habits, and individual promulgated by the
social structures state through its
fundamental and
implementing laws.
Leadership Style Historic personality Dynamic Bureaucratic
personality
Monarchical rule or Religious leaders or Government
Example the rule of elites in a popular icons such officials in modern
chiefdom as movie actors states
WORKSHEET 1

Multiple Choice. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. The marriage of a woman to two or more men at the same time.

a. polygamy c. monogamy
b. polyandry d. polygyny

2. The basic institution of most societies.

a. family c. marriage
b. kinship d. descent

3. The family structure based on residence that permits the newly married couple to live
independently.
a. patrilocal c. biolocal
b. matrilocal d. neolocal

4. This refers to a group whose members are involved in politics. This group can be seen in
families that have been part of the government for several generations.
a. political alliance c. political dynasty
b. political kinship d. political descent

5. Kinship based on blood is considered as the most basic and general form of relations.
a. matrilineal descent c. consanguineal kinship
b. patrilineal descent d. affinal kinship

6. It refers to the practice of having more than one partner or sexual mate.
a. polygamy c. endogamy
b. monogamy d. exogamy

7. A type of family that is made up of a group of people who are united by social ties and
is usually made up of two adults and their socially recognized children.
a. extended family c. blended family
b. complex family d. nuclear family

8. It happens when the newlywed couple stays with the husband’s relatives and the wife’s
kin alternately.
a. biolocal residence c. neolocal residence
b. avuncolocal residence d. patrilocal family
 9. Which type of marriage where the man or woman’s parents determine the marital
partner of the individual?
a. exchange marriage c. referred marriage
b. child marriage d. diplomatic marriage

10. It is sometimes called a step family, a reconstituted family, or a complex family.

a. nuclear family c. blended family
b. transnational family d. extended family

11. It refers to the type of relations developed when a marriage occurs.

a. consanguineal kinship c. kinship by ritual
b. affinal kinship d. kinship

12. It refers to the spiritual parents of the child.

a. compadrazgo c. goddaughter
b. godson d. parents

13. When someone finds his/her partner through a matchmaker.

a. arranged marriage c. fixed marriage
b. referred marriage d. diplomatic marriage

14. It refers to the biological origin of a person’s family.

a. kinship c. descent
b. alliance d. dynasty

15. A marriage where an individual has only one spouse at a time.

a. polygamy c. endogamy
b. polygyny d. monogamy

WORKSHEET 2

Fill in the blanks with the correct answer.

a. Marriage
b. Consanguineal Kinship
c. Neolocal Residence
d. Blood/Descent
e. Cousin
f. Family
g. Matrilineal
h. Sister
i. Brother
1. Affinal relatives are related by ________
2. Your kinship relationship with your grandmother is based on ________.
3. Your aunt’s son is your ______________________________________.
4. Your mother’s daughter is your _______________________________.
5. Your father’s son is your ____________________________________.
6. The basic social unit of the society is called _____________________.
7. A union between a man and a woman is called ___________________.
8. Consaguinal relatives are related by ___________________________.
9. Kinship through female’s line is called __________________________.
10. A type of residence where couple lives separately from both parents
______________________.

WORKSHEET 3

Multiple Choice. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. It is formed by several families living together based on marriage ties, common

descendants, friendship affiliations and members usually have common interest, or
enemy.
a. chiefdom c. tribe
b. band d. nation

2. A group usually headed by a village headman

a. nation-state c. tribe
b. chiefdom d. state

3. Formal leadership exists and, authority rests solely on the members of a select family.
a. nation c. tribe
b. state d. chiefdom

4. This term is defined as a political unit consisting of a government that has

sovereignty presiding over a group of people and well-defined territory and has the
highest form of political organization
a. state c. nation
b. nation-state d. state-
nation
5. It does not possess political sovereignty
a. state c. nation
b. nation-state d. state-
nation
 6. The power to make binding decisions and issue commands
a. bureaucracy c. charismatic
b. legitimacy d. authority

7. Legitimized from formal rules promulgated by the state through its fundamental and
implementing laws
a. traditional c. bureaucracy
b. legitimacy d. authority

8. Legitimated by the sanctity of tradition

a. traditional c. dynamic
b. historical d. charismatic

9. A value whereby something or someone is recognized and accepted as right and

proper
a. authority c. legal-rational
b. legitimacy d. bureaucracy

10. It has a more defined political organization and has permanent leader with real
authority to make major decisions.
a. nation c. tribe
b. chiefdom d. state

11. It is more complex and larger than a

band.
a. tribe c. chiefdom
b. band d. village
headman
12. The type of authority Philippines has.
a. monarchial c. traditional
b. legal-rational d. charismatic

13. The leadership style currently practiced by the Philippine government.

a. historical c. bureaucratic
b. traditional d. charismatic

14. Mother Teresa is an example of a ________________ leader.

a. charismatic c. monarchial
b. historical d. traditional

15. President Duterte is an example of a _________________ leader.

a. traditional c. monarchial
b. historical d. bureaucratic
WORKSHEET 4

Direction. Identify five (5) public officials in the Philippine government. Write their names and
their official government positions.

Name Official government position

1
2
3
4
5

WORKSHEET 5

Encircle the words related to political leadership and structures. Write each term in the
box below.

B U R E A U C R A C Y C
Z L O T M C R O I G U Q
C Y C A M I T I G E L W
D K D R M A I L N T C E
O H N E O S C E T H O R
I G A W R D T K I A P T
X F B Q E F R E B W A E
V D I Q F E F N B P S T
M S U A O D B M X U D A
H A Y A O R E A C H F T
 S P Y M R T S F C A G S
A Y T I R O H T U A H S

1. 4.
2. 5.
3. 6.