Kinship

Kinship refers to the social relationships derived from blood (consanguinity) and marriage (affinity). It encompasses the networks of relatives who are linked by ancestry, marriage, or adoption, and it shapes individuals' identities, obligations, and rights within a community. Kinship networks often extend beyond the nuclear family to include a wider web of relatives, in which persons may depend on one another for support, care, and social legitimacy.

Descent and membership: Many societies determine membership in kin groups through systems of descent. Bilateral or cognatic descent recognizes relatives through both parents and is common in many modern societies. Unilineal descent traces membership through one line—patrilineal (father's line) or matrilineal (mother's line)—and has implications for inheritance, lineage leadership, and ritual responsibility. Some groups also employ ambilineal or clan-based systems, where membership is flexible or unspecified.

Kinship terminology and organization: Linguistic kinship terms classify relatives by generation, gender, and side of the family, and vary widely across cultures. The structure of kin groups may include lineages, clans, and moieties, sometimes linked to descent groups or alliances for social and religious functions.

Social functions: Kin relations organize care, support, and provisioning; determine rights to inheritance, residence after marriage (e.g., patrilocal or matrilocal patterns), and political or ritual roles; and influence marriage choices and alliances. Adoption, step-relations, and other non-biological ties increasingly enter kin networks in many societies.

Contemporary notes: In modern societies, kinship remains a foundational concept but is continually reshaped by mobility, divorce, blended families, and legal changes. Anthropological study of kinship seeks to understand how families are formed, how resources and obligations are distributed, and how social identity is constructed through genealogical connections.