Cultural, Social and Political Institutions: Kinship, Marriage, and the

Household.

KINSHIP refers to the social relationships that are based on blood ties or marriage. It is
a system of social organization that determines how people are related to each other
and how they interact with each other based on these relationships.

Here are some definitions of kinship:

 According to the anthropologist David Schneider, kinship is “a network of social

relationships that are based on blood ties or marriage and that define the boundaries of
social groups.”
 Anthropologist Lewis Henry Morgan defined kinship as “a social bond based on blood
ties or marriage that connects individuals in a group.”
 Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss defined kinship as “the system of categories, labels,
and roles used to define and organize social relationships based on blood ties or
marriage.”

Kinship is an important aspect of human societies and cultures.

1. It helps to maintain unity, harmony, and cooperation among relationships.

2. Sets guidelines for communication and interactions among people.
3. Determines who can marry whom and where marital relationships are taboo.
4. Regulates the behavior of different kin and acts as a watchdog of social life.
5. Decides the rights and obligations of the members in all the sacraments and
religious practices from birth to death in family life

MARRIAGE is a legally recognized union between two people.

 It is a social and cultural institution that has been around for thousands of years
and is present in almost every culture and society. –
 typically based on love, mutual respect, and commitment between two people
who want to spend their lives together.
 It is often associated with the creation of a family unit and the raising of children.
 And can also provide legal and financial benefits to the couple, such as tax breaks,
inheritance rights, and access to health care.

Polygamy- refers to the practice of having more than one partner or sexual
mate.
Two types of Polygamy
1. Polygyny- a man has multiple female partners or mates.
2. Polyandry- a woman has multiple male partners and mates.

Types of Post-Marital Residency

1. Patrilocal – rule of residence occurs when married couples stay in the house
of the husband’s kin.
2. Matrilocal – rule of residence happens when the couple live with the wife’s
relatives or near the wife’s kin.
3. Ambilocal – happens when the newlywed couple stay with the husband’s
kin and the wife’s kin alternately.
4. Avuncolocal – The married couple’s normal residence is with or near the
maternal uncle (mother’s brother) or the husband’s other male matrilineal
kinsmen.
5. Bilocal – The couple establishes its residence optionally with or near the
parents of either spouse.
6. Neolocal – The couple’s normal residence is apart from the relatives from
the relatives of both spouses.
7. Duolocal – The couple has no common household as the husband and the
wife remain in their respective natal groups.
8. Matri-Patrilocal – The newlyweds initially live with the wife’s group for a
short or until the birth of the first child. Afterward, the couple’s residence is
shifted permanently to the husband’s group.