UNDERSTANDING

CULTURE, SOCIETY
AND POLITICS
CULTURAL, SOCIAL
AND POLITICAL
INSTITUTIONS
 KINSHIP
Culturally defined relationships
between individuals who are
commonly thought of as
having family ties.
 TYPES OF KINSHIP
CONSANGUINEAL – Commonly known as “blood relation”. The
relationship is achieved by birth or blood affinity.

AFFINAL – Type of kinship based on marriage. The most primary

affinal relationship is the one between a husband and a wife
which extended form includes parents and siblings of both sides
and their spouses and children.
KINSHIP BY BLOOD
 DESCENT
The system of acknowledged
social parentage, which
varies from society to
society, whereby a person
may claim kinship ties with
another.
Principles of descent
 Unilineal
Unilineal descent recognizes only a single line of ancestors through
males or females.
 Patrilineal
The rule of descent that affiliates individuals with kin of both sexes
related to them through men; at birth an individual affiliates with their
fathers’ kin group.
 Matrilineal
The rule of descent that affiliates individuals with kin of both sexes
related to them through women; at birth an individual affiliates with
their mother’s kin group.
 Bilateral
A kinship system where individuals are affiliated with both their
mother’s and father’s kin relatively equally.
KINSHIP BY MARRIAGE
 MARRIAGE
Legally recognized social
contract between two people,
traditionally based on a
sexual relationship and
implying a permanence of
the union.
Forms of marriage
 Endogamy
Customary marriage of peoples within their own cultural group or clan. Cultures
that practice endogamy require marriage between peoples within specific social
groups, social classes, or ethnicities as a central part of their moral, cultural,
religious, or traditional beliefs.
 Exogamy
Is a socially accepted arrangement for marriage outside of a social group.
 Monogamy
The union between two individuals, is the most common form of marriage. While
monogamy traditionally referred to the union of one man and one woman, there are
some countries that recognize same-sex unions.
 Polygamy
The union between three or more individuals is the second most common form of
marriage. Polygyny is the correct term for a marriage between a man and multiple
women. Polyandry refers to a marriage between a woman and multiple men.
Post-marital residency rules -
specify where a person resides after
marriage
NEOLOCAL - Occurs when a newly married couple establishes their home independent of both sets
of relatives.

PATRILOCAL - A pattern of marital residence where couples typically live with or near the husband’s
parents.

MATRILOCAL - A pattern of marital residence where couples typically live with or near the wife’s
parents. 

BILOCAL - When the couple alternates between the wife's group and the husband's group.
KINSHIP BY RITUAL
 COMPADRAZGO
A system of fictive kinship, with
its origins in the medieval
Catholic church in Europe. It
can be loosely translated as
‘godparenthood’. Through
baptism of a child into the
Christian church, compadrazgo
sets up a relationship between
the child's biological mother and
father and (possibly unrelated)
persons who become spiritual
parents.
FAMILY AND THE
HOUSEHOLD
 FAMILY
A group of persons united by
the ties of marriage, blood, or
adoption, constituting a
single household and
interacting with each other in
their respective social
positions. Basic unit of social
organization.
Family Structures
 Nuclear
Is a family made up of a married couple and their biological or adopted children.
 Extended
Composed 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.
 Blended
One or both parents have children from a previous relationship, but they have
combined to form a new family.
 Separated
A family member is separated from the rest of the families. This may be due to
employment; military service; incarceration; hospitalization etc.
 Transnational
Families who live apart but who create and retain a ‘sense of collective welfare and
unity, in short “familyhood,” even across national borders.
POLITICS OF KINSHIP
 POLITICAL DYNASTY
Concentration, consolidation
or perpetuation of political
powers by persons related to
one another.
 POLITICAL ALLIANCE
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.