Anthropological Perspective
Kinship, Marriage, and the Family
Important terms and concepts
Kinship types:
1. Lineal kinship (Canada): This kinship type privileges the nuclear family as the important kin
group, and distinguishes lineal relatives (parents, grandparents, etc.) from collateral relatives
(siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, etc.).
2. Generational kinship (Hawaiian; Ju/’hoansi): Privileges the band as the important kin group.
Kinship distinctions are made by generations (for example, the parents’ generation is
distinguished from the grandparents’, from the great-grandparents’, etc.)
3. Bifurcate merging (Unilineal) kinship (Masai of Kenya; Nyinba of Nepal): Privileges the
lineage as the important kin group. Kinship distinctions are made on the basis of lineage, and
kinship is either reckoned along the male (patrilineal) or the female (matrilineal) line.
Descent and inheritance:
1. Bilateral descent (Canada): Descent is traced both along the father’s and the mother’s side.
2. Ambilineal descent (Ju/’hoansi): One may choose to trace descent either along the father’s or
the mother’s side, and this may change during the course of one’s lifetime.
3. Unilineal descent (Masai; Nyinba): Descent is traced either along the father’s side or along
the mother’s side.
Patrilineal descent: Descent is traced along the father’s side.
Matrilineal descent: Descent is traced along the mother’s side.
Marriage Patterns:
1. Monogamy (Canada; Ju/’hoansi): A marriage consists of one man being married to one
woman at any time.
2. Polygamy (Masai; Nyinba): Marriage to more than one spouse at the same time.
Polygyny (Masai): A man has more than one wife at any given time.
Polyandry (Nyinba): A woman has more than one husband at any given time.
