A Brief Look On Kinship

Human beings’ social nature forces them to tie with others in some form of relationship which

declares them as social creatures. They always live with their fellow beings and are surrounded

by different kinds of people. Friends, relatives, neighbors, and strangers are the people with

whom they reside within society. Among all these people men make relations with some either

through blood ties or marriage ties. This respective bond of blood or marriage which makes

people come together in a group and live in a healthy relationship is called kinship.

Firstly, Consanguineous Kinship and Affinal Kinship are mainly two types of kinship. Those

kins who are related to each other by blood are known as consanguineous kins. Moreover, it is

based on blood ties. Son, daughter, sister, etc. are an example of consanguineous kinship. The

kinship relationship established by marriage is known as affinal kinship. And the relatives related

to this kinship are called affinal kins such as son-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-

law, etc. are an example of affinal kins.

After that, according to nearness or distance kins can be classified as primary, secondary, and

tertiary kins. Those kins who are closely and directly related to one another are called primary

kins. Normally there are eight types of primary kins which include husband-wife, father-son,

mother-son, father-daughter, mother-daughter, sister-brother, younger brother-elder brother, and

younger sister-elder sister. Secondary Kins are defined in relation to our primary kins. Primary

kins of our primary kins are called secondary kins. Father’s brother, sister’s husband, and

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brother’s wife are our secondary kin. Secondary kins of our primary kins are known as tertiary

kins. The Brother of the sister’s husband and the wife of the brother-in-law are examples of

tertiary kins.

Also, besides the above types of kin, there are two other types of kin Lineal Kin and lateral Kin.

A lineal kinship is a relationship with the persons who are related by a direct line of descent such

as father, father’s father, son, son’s son, etc. Those who are related indirectly through the

mediation of another relative such as the father’s brother, mother’s sister, etc. are in collateral

kinship.

Now, let’s look at Tasnimul’s relationship with his aunt and his brother-in-law. At first, His

kinship with his brother-in-law is affinal, secondary, and collateral at the same time. As this

relationship was established by marrying his sister it can be called affinal kinship. As,

Tasnimul’s sister is his primary kin and his brother-in-law is related to his sister, this relationship

can be defined as secondary. Those who are related indirectly through the mediation of another

relative are in a collateral kinship, as Tasnimul’s brother-in-law. After that, Tasnimul’s

relationship with his aunt is second-degree consanguineous as she shares half the inheritance

from his mother’s side. As his aunt is related indirectly through the mediation of his mother so

Tasnimul and his aunt are in collateral kinship. Let’s look at the following diagram and try to

understand more.

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As per anthropologists’ discovery there exist six basic kin naming patterns or systems which are

used by almost most of the cultures in the world, known as - Eskimo, Hawaiian, Sudanese,

Omaha, Crow, and Iroquois systems. In Bangladesh, there has been seen the Eskimo kinship

system. The category of kinship which is used to define family organization in anthropology is

called Eskimo kinship or Inuit kinship. Now, when it comes to family the first thing that comes

to mind is the bonding among the members. But, family is more than that. By definition, family

is the smallest unit of a keen group, sharing a common ancestry through blood, marriage,

adoption, and other sorts of mutuality, as stated by Dr. Seuty Sabur.

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The family is the foundation of people's support networks in Bangladesh, and it is at the core of

social life. The 'Barhi' is the most common family unit in this area. It consists of a husband and

wife with their unmarried children, and if those children, primarily sons, reach marriageable age,

they remain in the same residence with their parents, forming a sort of extended family. The

barhi provides economic security and a feeling of social identity. At the same time, the barhi is

patriarchal and patrilineal. It has been discovered that women perform the majority of household

duties, putting them in command of the home. Men, on the other hand, remain the primary

source of authority, with easy access to more education and job sectors. 420 These events are

evolving in recent years as women become more involved outside of the home, doing what men

used to do more. Weddings, on the other hand, are planned and normally take place when parents

decide that their child should marry. Parents typically strive to match their child with someone of

comparable or equivalent socioeconomic status, educational background, and religious beliefs.

As more Bangladeshis acquire choice over whom they marry, this is changing. As a result, the

common attitude toward familial connections is communal, and people frequently act in the best

interests of the community rather than their own.

Lastly, this familiar kinship can be seen in one such event, during the holy days of Eid-ul-Adha,

also known as “Qurbaani Eid”. Living with a relative that celebrates these occasions can provide

valuable insight into how the family functions Men and women play very different roles during

“Eid ul-Adha” in their respective house works. Thus a kinship is being formed here, elaborately

described by Marshal Shalini, it says to be members being part of one another, and are dependent

on one another’s lives. There is a custom that shows how the male would go to these

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marketplaces to bargain for the cows they want. On the day of Eid, it’s the women who get the

more tenuous jobs. 420 In the past, it has been shown that the men would perform the sacrificial

art of sacrificing the cow, nd cutting the meat, whilst the women would all day cook and ready

the whole house for the relatives to come. During this Eid, the extended family nature can be

seen, as relatives would come and share their bondings amongst their family members.