Kinship
The definition of a family varies depending on the context of the discussion. The official definition of a family is a group of individuals related by blood. However, some individuals might define a family as a group related by helping each other or friendship. Kinship, on the other side, has to be a relationship by blood and lineage. Smith Bowen learns of two common types of kinship while learning about the Ju’/Hoansi, the Trobriand and the Chinese community. The first type is the patrilineal kinship, where an individual’s lineage is traced using the father’s lineage. The ancestors to an individual in the patrilineal kinship are defined from the father’s bloodline, and the mother’s bloodline is not recognized. On the other side, matrilineal kinship involves the tracing of an individual’s lineage using their mother’s lineage. The forms of kinship vary between the three communities. The Ju’hoansi community believes in using both lineages and hence a bilateral form of kinship where the lineages of both parents matter to the lineage of the child. The Trobriand, on the other side, believe in matrilineal kinship and only the mother’s lineage is considered. The Chinese use the patrilineal kinship, and the child’s lineage is traced from the father’s bloodline. The use of the terms matrilineal and patrilineal kinships helps to bring out the concept of matrimony and patriarchal systems of family relationship and hence a better understanding of the issue of kinship.
A question that would arise from the texts is whether the different forms of kinships have any impact on the social organization of the societies and whether the division of roles is done according to gender. A better understanding is needed on the impact of the interaction between the communities and other communities.
Work cited
Robbins, R. H., & Dowty, R. (2016). Cengage Advantage Books: Cultural Anthropology: A Problem-Based Approach. Nelson Education.